This archive report was first published on 22 December 2019.
On a night that will be remembered for a long time, Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp led his team to their first Club World Cup title, defeating Flamengo in a thrilling match.
Roberto Firmino's extra-time goal proved decisive, coming after Flamengo had given Liverpool a run for their money for most of the game.
Speaking after the match, Klopp was visibly drained but full of praise for his team's performance. 'We are exhausted from a very intense game but in moments of like this, I struggle to find the right words, to express my respect for the boys,' he said.
He also praised the Brazilian Copa Libertadores winners and their huge travelling support, saying that after debate over how much the trophy would mean for Liverpool, he now had no doubt. 'I said before I didn’t know how it would feel and now I can say – it’s outstanding,' he said.
Not for the first time in Liverpool's run of success under Klopp, it was a late goal that decided the match. 'Late goals – we don’t want to need them but they were necessary and important. The boys have improved a lot over these months and when you start believing you believe through the full 90 minutes and in this case 120 minutes,' Klopp said.
Flamengo coach Jorge Jesus was proud of his team's performance, saying 'We shouldn’t forget that Liverpool is the strongest team in Europe and we were equal to Liverpool and didn’t face particular problems in the first 95 minutes.'
