Demba Ba on the Hoffenheim display that shaped Jurgen Klopp’s gegenpressing | OneFootball

"Years later, talking with Ralf Rangnick, he shared an interesting anecdote with me. After that heavy defeat, Klopp admitted to him that from that moment on, he wanted all his teams to play that way. He implemented it at Dortmund and later at Liverpool. In a way, we were pioneers of Jürgen’s gegenpressing."

He was speaking to FourFourTwo.

"It was the fifth matchday of the league. Hoffenheim had just been promoted to the Bundesliga. Our style of play was a breath of fresh air in Germany."

"That day, within just half an hour, we were already leading Borussia Dortmund 2-0. I remember that we played with great intensity."

"I was completely exhausted afterwards because I gave absolutely everything on the pitch. It was incredible."

Klopp later popularised the high-intensity press at Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, winning back-to-back Bundesliga titles and making Liverpool English and European champions.

Source: Goal.com

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