Jurgen Klopp’s first season at Liverpool ended up with a Europa League final against Sevilla. The match, that took place in Basel, Switzerland, has been followed by an amazing play-off path for the German head coach and his new team.
After knocking out Bundesliga side Augsburg with only one goal scored in both legs, Liverpool had a thrilling two-round battle with Borussia Dortmund, Klopp’s former side. After a 1-1 draw at the Signal Iduna Park Liverpool were hopelessly losing 1-3 at Anfield, but Philippe Coutinho, Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren produced the first sensational European comeback after so many years, setting a stage for a future, more historical wins.
Villarreal has been beaten 3-1 after a confident 3-0 win at Anfield. It seemed Liverpool could lift their first European trophy after 11 years, but Unai Emery’s Sevilla was the toughest challenge, that Reds couldn’t pass, losing 3-1 eventually.
Liverpool’s squad has changed drastically since then. Sadio Mane, Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson arrived during the next 2-3 years to form the team that is close to win their first top flight title in England after 30 years, already having the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup trophies.
What happened to that squad from the 2015/16 final?
Goalkeeper
Simon Mignolet
Where is he now?
Belgian international has joined Club Brugge before the start of the 2019/20 campaign after seeing himself dropped to the bench by Alisson.
Right Back
Nathaniel Clyne
Where is he now?
Several injuries affected Clyne’s carrier in the Merseyside. Currently, the 29-year-old player is having a season on loan at Bournemouth.
Center Backs
Kolo Toure, Dejan Lovren
Where are they now?
Lovren is in the team, Toure is working as an assistant coach at Leicester City
Left Back
Alberto Moreno
Where is he now?
Moreno failed to make an impact in the next two campaigns and has been dropped to the bench since the arrival of Andrew Robertson from Hull City.
Central Midfielders
James Milner, Emre Can
Where are they now?
Milner is the second player from this squad that is still at the club. Can has moved to Juventus for free after the 2017/18 campaign.
Left Winger
Philippe Coutinho
Where is he now?
In 2018, Liverpool sold Coutinho to Barcelona for £145 mln. The Brazilian international, however, has failed to make an impact at the Camp Nou and later, at Allianz Arena for Bayern Munich. According to recent reports, Coutinho could return to the Premier League.
Right Winger
Adam Lallana
Where is he now?
Lallana will become a free agent this summer. He will reportedly leave Liverpool after 6 seasons.
Central Attacking Midfielder
Roberto Firmino
The latest player, who’s still playing in Merseyside. Firmino has become a key player for Jurgen Klopp, forming one of the best attacking trios in European football with Salah and Mane.
Striker
Daniel Sturridge
Sturridge has left Liverpool in summer of 2019. He has since been investigated for breaking the betting regulations of the Premier League. Sturridge’s last club was Turkish side Trabzonspor.
BASEL, SWITZERLAND - MAY 18: Daniel Sturridge of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Europa League Final match between Liverpool and Sevilla at St. Jakob-Park on May 18, 2016 in Basel, Switzerland. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
