A MODERN
BIOGRAPHY ARCHIVE
THE COLLECTION / SportsARCHIVE № 039
1967 —   FOOTBALL MANAGER

JÜRGENKLOPP

Jun 16, 1967Germany

What happened at what age?
Where were they at your age?

The year he turned 23, he signed a semi-professional contract with the second-division club Mainz 05. The year he turned 34, Mainz put him in charge of the team, then in a relegation fight, and he won his first match 1-0 against Duisburg. The year he turned 37, Mainz went up to the Bundesliga for the first time.

The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 39, he was a studio analyst for ZDF at the World Cup, and the coverage won Best Sports Program at the German Television Award.

The year he turned 41, he was unveiled as Borussia Dortmund manager. The year he turned 44, Dortmund won the Bundesliga with a 2-0 win over Nuremberg, their first German league title since 2002. The year he turned 45, Dortmund beat Bayern Munich 5-2 in the German Cup final for their first league and cup double. The year he turned 46, Dortmund reached the Champions League final at Wembley and lost 2-1 to Bayern Munich.

The year he turned 48, he announced in April that he would leave Dortmund and in October was appointed Liverpool manager on a three-year deal. The year he turned 49, he signed a contract extension to 2022. The year he turned 50, Liverpool finished in the top four in his first full season. The year he turned 51, he lost the Champions League final to Real Madrid, his third final lost since arriving.

The year he turned 52, Liverpool won the Champions League, and he was named Best FIFA Men’s Coach. The year he turned 53, Liverpool won the Premier League, and he was named Coach of the Year at Sports Personality of the Year.

The year he turned 55, Liverpool won the League Cup and the FA Cup, both on penalties against Chelsea. The year he turned 56, Liverpool beat Manchester United 7-0 at Anfield. The year he turned 57, he announced in January that he would leave, won the League Cup again in February, and managed his last match in May.

The year he turned 58, Deutsche Telekom announced that he would be a TV expert for MagentaTV at the 2026 World Cup. The year he turned 59, he was named head coach of Germany on a four-year contract through the 2030 World Cup.

Jürgen Klopp signed with Mainz 05 in 1990, the year he turned 23, and became known on Oct 20, 2006, the year he turned 39, when ZDF’s 2006 World Cup coverage with him as an analyst won the German Television Award. His first Bundesliga title with Dortmund came in 2011, the year he turned 44.

Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.

Full timeline · 27 records1990 — 2026   ＋
AGE / YEAR

  1. 23 · 1990
    Debut

    Signs with Mainz 05

    Signed a semi-professional contract with the second-division club Mainz 05. He had played for amateur clubs while studying sports science in Frankfurt.

    Source 01 · BBC Sport · Klopp’s journey from Black Forest to Anfield · opens in a new tabSource 09 · BBC Sport · Klopp confirmed as Liverpool manager · opens in a new tabSource 04 · The Telegraph · The making of Jürgen Klopp · opens in a new tab BBC Sport’s 2020 profile gives 1990, at 23. BBC Sport’s 2015 fact box lists his Mainz playing career as 1989-2001, and The Telegraph says he got his first professional contract at Mainz in 1989. Day not given.
  2. 34 · 2001
    Coaching

    Takes charge at Mainz

    Mainz dismissed coach Eckhard Krautzun, and Klopp, then a defender, took over the team for the matches against Duisburg and Chemnitz. BBC Sport says Mainz were facing relegation to the third tier and beat Duisburg 1-0 in his first match.

    Source 03 · Die Welt · Mainz 05 entlässt Trainer Krautzun · opens in a new tabSource 01 · BBC Sport · Klopp’s journey from Black Forest to Anfield · opens in a new tab Die Welt, dated Feb. 28, 2001, says the dismissal was announced a day before the rearranged Wednesday match against Duisburg, and calls Klopp’s role interim; BBC Sport says he was installed as manager, and he stayed for seven years.
  3. 37 · 2004
  4. 41 · 2008
  5. 44 · 2011
  6. 45 · 2012
  7. 46 · 2013
  8. 48 · 2015
  9. 48 · 2015
  10. 49 · 2016
  11. 50 · 2017
  12. 51 · 2018
  13. 52 · 2019
  14. 52 · 2019
  15. 52 · 2019
  16. 53 · 2020
  17. 53 · 2020
  18. 55 · 2022
  19. 55 · 2022
  20. 56 · 2023
  21. 57 · 2024
  22. 57 · 2024
  23. 57 · 2024
  24. 57 · 2024
  25. 58 · 2025
  26. 59 · 2026

END OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1990–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.

02 / QUICK ANSWERS

Q & AFrequently asked

How old was Jürgen Klopp when he signed with Mainz 05?
In 1990, the year he turned 23. BBC Sport says he signed a semi-professional contract with the second-division club that year.
How old was Jürgen Klopp when he became famous?
In 2006, the year he turned 39. ZDF’s World Cup coverage with him in the studio won Best Sports Program at the German Television Award on Oct 20, 2006, and BBC Sport quotes Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke saying that the general public noticed him as a TV expert at that World Cup.
How old was Jürgen Klopp when he won the Bundesliga?
In 2011, the year he turned 44. Dortmund won the title on Apr 30, 2011 with a 2-0 win over Nuremberg, their first German league title since 2002.
How old was Jürgen Klopp when Liverpool won the Champions League?
In 2019, the year he turned 52. Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 on Jun 1, 2019.
How old is Jürgen Klopp?
Born in 1967, he turns 59 in 2026 (59 as of Sep 30, 2026).
04 / ABOUT THE ARCHIVE

A LIFE,
IN CHAPTERS.

What did they do, and at what age?
AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
Debut and breakthrough are marked separately, and every record has a source.

COLLECTION039Jürgen Klopp / JÜRGEN KLOPP

Sports · Germany
Jun 16, 1967 —

Sources and method28 SOURCES   ＋

Ages are counted from the birth year 1967: the year of the event minus 1967, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.

  1. BBC Sport · Klopp’s journey from Black Forest to Anfield ↗Published Mar. 23, 2020: signed for Mainz 05 in 1990 at 23; became Mainz manager in February 2001; promotion in 2004; Dortmund titles in 2011 and 2012; Dortmund CEO on the 2006 World Cup
  2. Deutscher Fernsehpreis · Fußball-WM 2006 im ZDF ↗Oct. 20, 2006 press release: Best Sports Program to ZDF’s World Cup coverage, studio team Johannes B. Kerner, Jürgen Klopp and Urs Meier (in German)
  3. Die Welt · Mainz 05 entlässt Trainer Krautzun ↗Feb. 2001 report (in German): Mainz dismissed Eckhard Krautzun; defender Klopp, 33, to take charge for the matches against Duisburg and Chemnitz
  4. The Telegraph · The making of Jürgen Klopp ↗Oct. 10, 2015: opens with Klopp being unveiled as Dortmund manager on May 23, 2008
  5. IOL (SAPA-AFP) · Dortmund crowned Bundesliga champions ↗Apr. 30, 2011 (archived copy): 2-0 win over Nuremberg, first German league title since 2002, eight points clear
  6. ESPN Soccernet · Dortmund rout Bayern to claim double ↗May 12, 2012 (archived copy): 5-2 win in the DFB-Pokal final, first league and cup double, Lewandowski hat-trick
  7. The Guardian · Klopp targets Champions League final glory ↗May 1, 2013: Dortmund reach the final at Wembley on May 25 after a 4-1 first-leg win and a 2-0 second-leg loss to Real Madrid
  8. BBC Sport · Borussia Dortmund coach to leave at end of season ↗Apr. 15, 2015: leaving at the end of the season; contract had run to 2018; 2013 Champions League final lost 2-1 to Bayern Munich
  9. BBC Sport · Klopp confirmed as Liverpool manager ↗Oct. 8, 2015: three-year deal worth £15m; born June 16, 1967, Stuttgart; seven years at Mainz as manager
  10. BBC Sport · Klopp signs six-year contract extension ↗July 8, 2016: extension to 2022; League Cup and Europa League finals reached the previous season
  11. The Guardian · Liverpool seal Champions League place ↗May 21, 2017: top-four finish and Champions League play-off place in Klopp’s first full season
  12. BBC Sport · Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool ↗May 26, 2018: third successive final lost since arriving, after the League Cup and Europa League finals of 2016
  13. The Guardian · Liverpool win Champions League, as it happened ↗June 1, 2019: Spurs 0-2 Liverpool, Salah penalty and Origi goal, sixth European title
  14. Sky Sports · Klopp wins Best FIFA men’s coach award ↗Sept. 24, 2019: edged out Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino; ceremony at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala
  15. BBC Sport · Flamengo 0-1 Liverpool ↗Dec. 21, 2019: Firmino’s 99th-minute goal, first Club World Cup for Liverpool, second English side to win it
  16. BBC Sport · Liverpool win Premier League: Klopp’s transformative role ↗June 25, 2020: Premier League champions after a rise from 10th place on his arrival
  17. BBC Sport · Klopp named Coach of the Year ↗Dec. 20, 2020: Coach of the Year at Sports Personality of the Year; Liverpool’s first top-division title since 1989-90
  18. The Guardian · Liverpool win Carabao Cup final ↗Feb. 27, 2022: Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool after extra time, Liverpool win 11-10 on penalties
  19. The Guardian · Liverpool win FA Cup after beating Chelsea again on penalties ↗May 14, 2022: Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool after extra time, Liverpool win 6-5 on penalties
  20. BBC Sport · Liverpool 7-0 Manchester United ↗Mar. 5, 2023: Salah became the club’s record Premier League goalscorer
  21. Liverpool FC · Klopp announces decision to step down ↗Jan. 26, 2024: will leave at the end of 2023-24; appointed Oct. 8, 2015; six major trophies to date
  22. Opta Analyst · Chelsea 0-1 Liverpool, EFL Cup final ↗Feb. 25, 2024: van Dijk’s extra-time header, 10th League Cup for Liverpool
  23. BBC Sport · Anfield awash with emotion as Klopp bids farewell ↗May 19, 2024: 2-0 win over Wolves, 299th win in 491 games, third place and a Carabao Cup that season
  24. The Guardian · Klopp returning to football as Red Bull’s head of global soccer ↗Oct. 9, 2024: appointed head of global soccer at Red Bull, beginning the role in January
  25. Deutsche Telekom · MagentaTV verpflichtet Jürgen Klopp für die WM 2026 ↗Nov. 14, 2025 press release (in German): Klopp to work as a TV expert for MagentaTV at the 2026 World Cup
  26. CNN · Klopp named head coach of Germany men’s national team ↗July 24, 2026: four-year contract through the 2030 World Cup, announced by the German Football Association
  27. DW · Klopp named new head coach of Germany men’s football team ↗July 24, 2026: contract starts Aug. 15; first match against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on Sept. 24
  28. FIFA · Messi, Rapinoe crowned The Best in Milan ↗Monday, Sept. 23, 2019: Klopp named The Best FIFA Men’s Coach at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala

Fact-checked: 2026.09.30 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.