Ayre: "Klopp appointment a sign of ambition from Liverpool owners"

Liverpool FC's Chief Executive Officer Ian Ayre hailed Jürgen Klopp as the man to lift the Reds' spirits after a poor start to the season and added that he believes the German's appointment is a show of ambition from their owners, Fenway Sports Group.

Ayre: "Klopp appointment a sign of ambition from Liverpool owners"
charlie-malam
By Charlie Malam

The appointment of Jürgen Klopp matches the ambition of Liverpool's American owners, according to chief executive Ian Ayre, who believes the new manager is the perfect man to lead the club forward. 

The 48-year-old was officially announced as the Reds' new boss on Thursday evening after he and Ayre finalised talks on a three-year contract in a city centre hotel.

And having been unveiled to the press the following day, Klopp's Anfield reign has made an ideal start - with reporters having been charmed by the German's infectious personality.

And Ayre, a boyhood Liverpool fan, believes the highly-rated Klopp - who won the Bundesliga twice prior to his switch to Merseyside, can help the club to fulfil their targets over the coming years.

Ayre says Klopp was the ideal candidate to take over at Anfield

CEO Ayre told Liverpoolfc.com that when the club looked for a replacement for Brendan Rodgers, they wanted to find a candidate who "fitted the bill completely" and revealed that he met with Fenway Sports Group to discuss the necessary attributes for their next manager.

He admitted that Klopp "rose to the top" of their last for both "the attributes he has" and what "he can bring" - not forgetting the energy and enthusiasm he will bring to the role.

Ayre added that Klopp ticks all the boxes they wanted and explained that given their "great ambition" to continually improve the club, they fell that the ex-Borussia Dortmund man can take them forward.

He vowed that the ambition, for the owners and everybody at the club, "remains the same as it has always been" - in that they are desperate to help the club "be at the top of English and European football" - which is a vision he admitted that Klopp shares.

Ayre admitted his personal excitement at the opportunity to work with the enigmatic manager, whose appointment he declared is the latest show of ambition from the Reds' Boston-based owners.

Having spent mass amounts in ridding the club of debt, investing into the first-team and putting the funds towards the club's new Main Stand - which is developing rapidly - Ayre said Klopp's arrival is "another indication" of their commitment to the club and shows their ambition is to be "right at the top."

In addition, Klopp is "right at the top of his game" according to the 52-year-old, who has been at the club since being chosen as their Commercial Director by the previous owners in 2007, and "fits well" into the side with his personality - which is similar to the club, the city and the fans, Ayre believes.

Supporters will "warm to" Klopp, says Ayre

Klopp's "philosophies and culture" inside and outside of football, mirror that of Liverpool "makes for a great marriage in many ways" says Ayre, who referred to the fact that the new boss "had that feeling and love and connection" with the club when talks began earlier this week.

So much so, Ayre revealed that Klopp told them during talks that the Liverpool job was the only one that would bring him out of his sabbatical - which he had been on since leaving Dortmund in May - stating that they made the call to his representatives at "the right time" and "got the right result." 

He stated that ending his break early says "a lot" about his commitment and desire to be a part of the Liverpool set-up and shows that he has already began to develop a connection, which is a "dream come true" for Klopp - the Reds' CEO added.

Asked whether his personality will help to endear him to the club's supporters, Ayre insisted that Klopp will show his "passion for the game" and his passion "for everything he does in football" - which Liverpool's supporters will "warm to very quickly."

He described the German as an "extremely gregarious individual" and further hailed his attitude as "very lively" and "very infectious" - which he believes will be a two-way thing with the Reds, because he is "very much looking forward" to mixing with the club and its fans.

It will take time before Klopp's Liverpool get into full swing, CEO states

But Ayre was also wary to warn the Merseyside natives not to expect too much too soon, saying that the plan will need a "period of implementation" before the Reds really see the best of his managerial abilities.

Ayre explained that it will "all take time" but stated that he already knows the squad well, having "talked about certain players" that he tried to sign himself - players such as Roberto Firmino and Christian Benteke, whom they only signed in the recent summer.

He added that Klopp is "very aware" of the tools he has available to him and says he is "keen to get going" with them - but reiterated that it will be a patient process that will "hopefully" happen "sooner rather than later."

Nevertheless, he added that the club are "very pleased" having managed to appoint the Stuttgart-born boss, given his "objectives" and "ambitions" for the club - insisting that fans "will be very excited" to see the new era "start to unfold." 

Klopp's first game in charge of the club will be away at Tottenham Hotspur in a week's time, as they visit White Hart Lane searching for just a fourth win in nine Premier League games.

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About the author
Charlie Malam
Digital Sports Writer at the Daily Express. First-class Staffordshire University Sports Journalism graduate. Formerly VAVEL UK's Liverpool FC editor and Deputy Editor-in-Chief. Contributor since June 2014.