Jürgen Klopp: The importance of a culture of respect to success in football

Neil Doncaster, University of Liverpool

This case study looks at the role of the leader in football. The study briefly reviews the academic literature on the subject of leadership and focuses on the example of Jürgen Klopp, the manager of English Premier League club Liverpool FC. The case study looks at Jürgen Klopp’s background, career and track record in football management and seeks better to understand the impact of his leadership style on the success on Liverpool FC. The objective of this study is to create a better understanding of leadership in football and to provoke discussion about the difference that leaders in football can make to the performance of organizations. Based on the case’s discussion of the importance of vision and shared values to Jürgen Klopp’s leadership style, the case also contextualizes to clubs in the MENA region in considering the values, which are important for successful leadership in the region