Jurgen Klopp has lauded Liverpool's end-of-season 2021/22 trophy parade, less than 24 hours after the Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid, as the most extraordinary experience of his life.
As Liverpool headed into the penultimate few weeks of the season with both the FA Cup and League Cup already in the bag and well-placed to add to those honours with their Champions League and Premier League quests for glory, Liverpool and Liverpool City Council drafted plans to carry out a parade on the final Sunday of the campaign regardless of if they managed to add the two lucrative trophies to their cabinet.
However, as it transpired, the Reds would be pipped to the Premier League title by Manchester City on the final day of the season as the Citizens came from two goals behind to beat Steven Gerrard's Aston Villa 3-2 and win their fourth league title in five years. The following week the Champions League final in Paris, which was overshadowed by the inhuman treatment of supporters trying to enter the Stade de France, saw Klopp's men fall to a 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid.
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And in the hours following the final, Klopp and his players flew back to Merseyside from France before fulfilling their pre-arranged parade duties just hours later, where they were greeted by thousands of supporters who lined the streets of the city to hail them for their incredible efforts over the 63-game campaign.
Speaking to The Anfield Wrap over in Bangkok, Klopp described the moment as incredibly special. He said: "This situation was so special because we lost the Champions League final the night before and then coming together and appreciating and celebrating us and our relationship, and celebrating our view on things, was the most extraordinary experience of my life, I have to say.
"I haven't had 500 parades, but I have had a few and this was the most special ever, ever, ever and I can't see it being topped in the future. We all get praise when we win but getting what we got there, love and all these things, when we lost a big final was incredibly special."
The German wasn't the only member of the Reds' squad to be touched by the reaction of the club's supporters once they returned to Merseyside, as plenty of the players took to social media to thank the fans for their efforts - with captain Jordan Henderson tweeting: "I didn't think it would of been possible after last night but today was one of the best days of my life. Thank you Reds."
Part of the reason behind the decision to approve plans for a parade regardless of if the club fell short in their pursuit of quadruple glory was because of the role the Covid-19 pandemic played in not allowing supporters to celebrate the club's 19th league title in the summer of 2020, as restrictions on mass gatherings were temporarily in place.
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