Klopp-tastic: Affectionate, intimate, safe, loving leadership
“Prepare Relentlessly”
– Chapter 3, “Leadership”, Rudy Giuliani
When Liverpool beat Chelsea in the FA Cup Final on 14th May 2022, the five minutes after the final whistle made all the difference.
With the score at 0-0 after extra time, the match went to penalties. A penalty shootout is a psychological game, starting with how the manager communicates with his players. Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp and Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel spent those five minutes very differently.
60 seconds after the final whistle: Klopp has already made his selection of who will take the penalties. He approaches each penalty taker to tell / ask him which number shot to take. He does this one-on-one and often cements his ask with his trademark hug. The asking process is intimate, safe and loving.
At 1 minute and 30 seconds: Klopp is done with his rounds, the team is gathered in a huddle, and he gives a short but passionate speech.
At 1 minute and 45 seconds: he finishes and the team breaks up the huddle.
At 1 minute and 50 minutes: Tuchel is meanwhile still revising his notes, and eventually making his way to the huddle.
Tuchel spent the first 1 – 2 minutes seemingly revising his selection, and (probably) from the corner of his eye, he sees that Liverpool have already finished their huddle before Chelsea have even started it. He then moves into the middle of the circle before he is finished with the plan.
Entering the circle of players before you’ve completed the selection is what happened to Gareth Southgate in the 2021 Euros final – you’re late, not ready, become reactive, and what could have been a smooth final reminder to the team becomes erratic, rushed and stressed.
In the huddle, Tuchel then asks his players about the shots, publicly, in front of the whole team. There’s plenty of group pressure when done this way – and the chance of honest responses from the players drops. It creates further stress that carries on into the shootout itself.
While Tuchel is still in the process of selecting and asking his players, Klopp has finished all his administrative duties and spends his time spreading warmth, love and good energy. Even taking a moment to have a laugh with defender Virgil van Dijk.
Because Liverpool finished their huddle early, they step into the middle circle first, and get to pick position. They choose the side closest to their bench, which enables the staff to give further instructions during the shootout. It also maintains the closeness to the warmth of the manager.
Jürgen Klopp’s monsters of mentality are not born, they’re made. Proactive preparation, composed execution, and empathetic, affectionate communication – these things give the best possible foundation for performance under extreme pressure.
Liverpool were psychologically 1-0 up before a single penalty was taken.
Even though Liverpool’s Sadio Mané missed his penalty, he’s soon laughing in the centre circle with his fellow players. The cup wasn’t yet won, but they were so relaxed. It reminded me of the movie The Right Stuff, about the first astronauts. For a moment, Mission Control loses contact with Gordo Cooper (played by Dennis Quaid), who’s in position on the launchpad. Then they hear snoring. He is so relaxed that he falls asleep just before launch.
Let’s not forget the goalkeeper. After every penalty he faced, Liverpool’s Alisson Becker retrieved the ball and made sure he handed it to the next Liverpool player. Whereas Edouard Mendy (his opposite number) and the Chelsea players seemed like strangers.
(Sources: Geir Jordet, Professor of Sports Science; Panikos Papagapiou)
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