Remembering Jurgen Klopp s first ever game as a manager
Jurgen Klopp s first win as a manager came on February 28, 2001 | Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
As a player, Jurgen Klopp wasn t anything particularly special.
He spent most of his career as a striker in Germany s lower divisions, turning out for Mainz for 11 years between 1990 and 2001 and firing home 56 goals in 340 appearances (some of which were spent as a defender). It wasn t particularly mind-blowing, but it was still enough to make him Mainz s record goalscorer.
February 2001 was a rough month for Klopp. Now an ageing defender, he found himself injured and forced to watch his team struggle from the sidelines. Manager Eckhard Krautzun was given the sack on 27 February, and given Klopp had nothing else to do, he was put in temporary charge of the team.