With Jurgen Klopp seeking to end a six-match winless run in finals, the Liverpool boss insists he isn’t a loser and he hasn’t had an unlucky career.
Liverpool were beaten by Real Madrid in the 2018 Champions League final, while Klopp also lost in European football’s showpiece with Borussia Dortmund in 2013.
“My career for sure so far was not unlucky,” Klopp told the press. “I must be the world record holder for winning semi-finals, but if I wrote a book about it probably no-one would buy it!
“Between 2012 and 2017, I reached every final with my team. I don’t feel like a loser. If I did, I would have a problem.
“In these types of matches, there are times when you are lucky and times when you don’t have it, but that is something you can’t change.
“If I was the reason for losing six finals in a row, then everyone should worry.
“If not, we have a chance. Last year [we lost because of] three strange goals, apart from that it was a good game.
“But we go in a situation where we learn – not from last season’s final as there were three strange goals – a lot from our time together.”
Looking at the two teams and whether either has a better chance because of the way they qualified, Klopp was unequivocal.
“If I thought Tottenham had an advantage I would be mad,” he said. “We don’t think about it.
“It’s about working for an advantage tomorrow. People will say we’re favourites but we won both [Premier League] games 2-1 – the second one with a strange goal.
“Both teams have grown step-by-step. I respect Mauricio Pochettino a lot for his work at Tottenham. We have grown in parallel.”
