Peter Krawietz worked alongside Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool and has followed the former Anfield boss into the Red Bull ranks as Head of Soccer Philosophy. While a new challenge away from the dugout is being embraced, Krawietz has been casting an eye back over a memorable era on Merseyside – which saw Klopp deliver Champions League and Premier League title triumphs.
GettyKlopp's success stories at Liverpool
Klopp made his way to Liverpool in October 2015 and would go on to spend the best part of nine years in the most demanding of coaching roles. He helped to make the Reds challengers for major honours at home and abroad before bidding an emotional farewell at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.
He helped to put a number of players on the path to superstardom, with it Klopp that brought Mohamed Salah back to English football in the summer of 2017. The Egyptian superstar has become a Liverpool great and will stand forever alongside some legendary figures at Anfield. He also snapped up Virgil van Dijk from Southampton in a big-money transfer that raised more than a few eyebrows, with the Dutchman now club captain and one of the finest defenders in world football. Trent Alexander-Arnold is another of Klopp’s many success stories.
AdvertisementThe transformation of Alexander-Arnold
Merseyside native Alexander-Arnold was a starry-eyed academy hopeful when Klopp took the reins at Anfield, with his promise clear for all to see. The highly-rated full-back, who boasted the kind of technical ability that few in his position possess, was handed his senior debut in October 2016 a matter of days after his 18th birthday.
The buccaneering defender had come a long way by that point, with Krawietz telling GOAL of how the skinny youngster blossomed into one of the finest full-backs of his generation: “I still remember Trent Alexander-Arnold running across the field for the first time as a 15-year-old beanpole – physically underdeveloped, with no muscles at all. But even then, the youth coaches said he was a huge talent. In the end, he became Liverpool's homegrown right-back, shaping the team's play and symbolising the team's development.”
Getty ImagesHow Firmino became a fan favourite
Liverpool were able to turn Alexander-Arnold into a superstar, with Roberto Firmino treading a similar path. The enigmatic Brazilian forward was inherited by Klopp and Co when they took the reins, with his work ethic proving to be a perfect fit for the ‘Gegenpressing’ philosophy that a demanding German coach was famed for. He quickly became a fan favourite, despite never being prolific in front of goal, and always played with a smile on his face.
Krawietz added when asked to pick out the player that impressed him most as a person: “Roberto Firmino comes to mind. His development was extremely interesting to observe. He initially came to the Christmas party wearing sunglasses, wore the best suits, and partied the hardest. Later, he found faith and became a Christian. The way he embraced that and drew strength and conviction from it was quite extraordinary. He always thought about others and became a role model for them. He perfectly combined his Brazilian style of playing with the necessary seriousness and commitment.”
State of play: Where Firmino & Alexander-Arnold are now
Firmino brought an eight-year spell with Liverpool to a close in 2023 when he headed to the Saudi Pro League, with the 33-year-old South American now in Qatar with Al Sadd. His fearsome strike partnership with Salah and Sadio Mane will always hold a special place in the hearts of Reds supporters.
Alexander-Arnold, meanwhile, made a controversial departure from Anfield in the summer of 2025. Having allowed his contract to run down, the now 26-year-old opted to step out of his comfort zone when agreeing a deal with La Liga giants Real Madrid. Some Liverpool supporters were less than impressed at seeing one of their own walk away on the back of another title triumph, with the 34-cap England international making a slow start to life alongside Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe at Santiago Bernabeu.