'Jürgen Klopp is special - we're delighted to have him back here'

The Reds boss enjoyed a long playing career with Die Nullfunfer before becoming their manager in 2001, ultimately leading them into the Bundesliga for the first time in their history during a seven-year stint at the helm.

Indeed, Klopp was in charge of Mainz the last time they faced Liverpool in a pre-season friendly in the summer of 2006, but his role will be reversed this afternoon as he brings his current team to his former club.

Ahead of welcoming the 49-year-old back to Rhineland-Palatinate, Harald Strutz, president of the Bundesliga side since 1988, told Liverpoolfc.com: “I am very glad we have the chance to play against Liverpool.

“It’ll be a great day for our club and a great day for the people of our region because Jürgen Klopp is coming back and we will have the launch of our new naming rights partner for our stadium.

“We will have a big festival and we’re very enthusiastic about him coming back. He has a great personality and we had a beautiful time together with him.”

Having been president of Mainz for close to 30 years, Strutz is well placed to assess the impact Klopp had on their fortunes, both as a player and later their boss.

He feels his impact transcended just the pitch as he masterminded their first ever promotion to the Bundesliga in 2004.

“Jürgen Klopp was not only a player and then later a coach,” he said. “He has a special kind of behaviour, he is very kind to all people around – he doesn’t have his nose to the sky and is not too proud to speak to everyone.

“From the beginning, he was a leader of the team and someone who would speak on behalf of them. He was a player full of spirit and effort on the pitch and he gave all of his players the fire to force things to happen.

“He was a very strong player, but he did not have the ability to play technical football. He was a running man, a fighter, very good in defence and he always wanted to try and get a goal. The character of his personality is always to fight, not to give up and be full of heart.”

After taking Mainz into the top flight and subsequently the UEFA Cup a year later, they found themselves back in 2. Bundesliga in 2007-08.

It proved to be Klopp’s last season at the reins before his move to Borussia Dortmund – and his goodbye became an emotive one when, despite a 5-1 win over St Pauli, they narrowly missed out on instant promotion.

“One of the most emotional moments of my life was the last game with Jürgen Klopp in our old stadium,” recalled Strutz.

“We played St Pauli and there were more than 20,000 spectators and we didn’t get the chance to get into the first division.

“It started on 85 minutes and everyone was singing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ and that was a sign for all the people to celebrate Jürgen Klopp. It was very emotional because he had tears in his eyes – and so did I because we knew that was the end of a very, very big and special story.

“It was so incredible to have such a beautiful time, full of emotion, but it was coming to an end and everybody was crying. I’ve never had so many emotions running through me in my football life.”

Since Klopp moved to Liverpool last October, Strutz admits he has taken a keen interest in following the Reds’ fortunes.

He concluded: “Liverpool are the best club he could have. In fact, I was hoping he would decide to go to Liverpool because they are the same colour as my club and they have the same kind of supporters who live for football!

“Jürgen is full of honesty and burning passion. I am glad to be in contact with him – for many years we’ve had a good friendship.

“Jürgen is a special man – he is a normal man, but with a special character and aura.”

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