Written by Marios Mantzos, a lifelong Liverpool fan and wannabe journalist, the book tells the story of how Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool are a match made in heaven. Marios explains how Klopp’s human touch, faith in the principles of teamwork and true love for fellow human beings created a beautiful working environment.
The book is not just about football, but also about the leader, the motivator, the father figure, and the socialist man politically and socially. Marios set out to explore why Klopp’s gegenpressing and 4-3-3 dominated the game, but also how the deep bond between the German and the people of the city made everyone part of that special journey.
Marios was inspired to write the book after watching Liverpool beat Bournemouth 2-1 in March 2020, and needing just six points to clinch the first league title in 30 years. He watched Jurgen Klopp celebrating with fist pumps in front of the Kop and thought there was a story to be told. After nine months of writing, the book was published in Greek in December 2020, and then in English from February 2021.
Marios says he learned many life lessons from writing about Klopp, including how to deal with difficulties, setbacks, and bad moments. He also found comfort in hearing Klopp talk about how to stand up and walk on with hope in your heart.
Marios hopes that readers will take away some of the life lessons he learned from writing The Social One. As Jurgen Klopp said himself: “I would like to see on my tombstone something like: ‘He was a good guy’. That would be absolutely enough.”