LONDON: Jurgen Klopp said he “could not be prouder” of his quadruple-chasing side after Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties to make him the first German manager to win the FA Cup.
The Reds replicated their shootout win over Chelsea in the League Cup final by triumphing 6-5 on spot-kicks after a goalless 90 minutes and extra time.
Klopp said: “I couldn’t be more proud of my boys, the shift they put in, how hard they fought. It was an incredible game, a nerve-wracking shootout, my nails are gone.
“It was intense – Chelsea would have deserved it exactly the same way we did, just like in the League Cup – that’s how small the margins are. “Chelsea played outstanding but in the end there must be one winner and that was us today.”
Klopp then addressed the inevitable question about the quadruple.
He said: “The quadruple thing is absolutely outstanding that we can talk about it. It’s crazy. It’s out of this world – this was game number 60 in an intense season. But I really feel for Chelsea – for the second time, 120 minutes and you get nothing, that’s too hard. But for us I’m pretty happy.
“We are mentality monsters but there were mentality monsters in blue as well – it was one penalty that was the difference.”
The FA Cup is the sixth major honour Jurgen Klopp has won as Liverpool boss, having already lifted the Premier League title, League Cup, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
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