As his biographer, I feel obliged to quote John Updike’s wise sayings — among them the first rule in his code for book reviewers: ‘Try to understand what the author wished to do, and then do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.’ Too bad about the gendered pronoun; otherwise, spot on. Rules are made to be broken, though, and when it comes to Anthony Quinn’s Klopp, I have to say I wish there were more Klopp, less Quinn. In the prologue, the author warns us: ‘This book is not a biography of Jürgen Klopp.’ So what’s with the title?
Jürgen Norbert Klopp arrived at Anfield five years ago to take charge of Liverpool Football Club. He brought with him a high-intensity style of play (what he called ‘heavy metal football’) and a singularly seductive persona. Watching Klopp’s Liverpool has been a thrill, the fans rewarded last season with a trophy they’ve been hankering after for 30 years.
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