Jurgen Klopp Suggests Luck & Squad Depth Were Key Factors in Reds' Champions League Final Heartbreak

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists his side needed to be 'more lucky' in their Champions League final heartbreak, while squad depth will help their chances

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists his side needed to be 'more lucky' in their Champions League final heartbreak, while squad depth will help their chances of going all the way this season.

Speaking to Goal, the German identified luck as among the reasons for his side's defeat in Kiev back in May, claiming he remains proud of the performance despite the loss.

“You can win a final with a really bad team if you’re lucky," Klopp said. Nobody wants to play the best football in the final, only to win it. For us, that didn’t happen.

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“We need to be a little bit more lucky in decisive moments. For example, if you saw the final; Madrid played with their strongest line-up, with every player included. Okay, Carvajal got injured but they had Marcelo, bam, centre-halves, bam, midfield, attack, everyone.

“We had a strong team too, but we played with the same team for what, the last 12 games? And that’s not an advantage!"

Though Klopp was reluctant to point the finger at anyone for Liverpool's defeat, the 51-year-old did identify ways to improve going forward.

He continued: “If you want to be successful in these competitions – Premier League, Champions League – then you need to have a wider squad. That’s what we are trying to do."

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Liverpool have made a number of high-profile signings since their defeat at the hands of Real Madrid, including midfielder Naby Keita and Roma goalkeeper Alisson, who was signed in a deal which made him the world's most expensive stopper at £66m. Klopp will be hoping that his side can move on from their heartbreak in Kiev and go one step further this season.

He said: “I was happy with that, but we didn’t win so that’s that. We start again, we are silver-medallists in the Champions League, if you like, but we need to start over. We will get a really tough group, for sure, but we have to be ready. I think we will be."

Liverpool kick off their season with at home to West Ham on August 12.