Slot commends Klopp after Liverpool seal Premier League title

Arne Slot commended former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp for the legacy he left at the club as he celebrated winning the Premier League title in his first season at Anfield.

Liverpool became English champions after a 5-1 demolition of Tottenham on Sunday, with nearest challengers Arsenal now unable to catch them. Former Feyenoord manager Slot got the crowd to sing Opus’ 1984 track “Live Is Life” but replaced the lyrics “Arne Slot” with “Jurgen Klopp”.

Klopp had sung Slot’s name to the Kop in his final game at Anfield. Slot praised the German, who won the Champions League and Premier League among other silverware during his nine-year spell at Anfield for leaving him a solid platform to build on.

“I think that is something not one manager ever did before. So that is what definitely helped me,” he said. “But apart from that, he helped me even more by the team he left behind and the culture he left behind in that team.

“The quality the players have was, I think, obvious for everyone. But the culture of hard work, the culture not only from the players, but also from the staff members, has been incredible. And that is one of the reasons why we could achieve what we’ve achieved this season.”

Slot said the Premier League triumph – which lifts Liverpool level with Manchester United’s record tally of 20 top-flight titles – felt “unreal”. The Dutchman said he had kept his cool throughout the day apart from when the team bus arrived at Anfield to be greeted by thousands of fans.

“The only moment I was emotional today was when we arrived at the stadium, to see what it meant for the fans, what it meant for these people,” he said. “For us to have a chance of winning it felt really special, but immediately it also felt like, we still have to do it.

“But I think everybody who was inside that bus felt, if the fans are with us like they are, then it’s impossible for us to lose this game of football. And then during the game, after the game, it’s been incredible how supportive the fans were and how our players played. And it’s special to be part of this day.”