soccer manager extraordinaire

Spend much time around me and you will find out that I am a big soccer nerd. I love watched European soccer, and one of my all-time favorite managers to watch is Jurgen Klopp. I first came to notice him when he worked in Germany, coaching Borussia Dortmund (go Bumblebees!). Now, he coaches in the English Premier League, and I will watch Liverpool whenever I can to see how he leads the team.

The Little People, Big Dreams series has put together a book about Klopp for early readers (4-7 ages is what’s recommended, but as someone who is a little older than that age group, I can attest that readers of all ages may be interested in this book).

The book starts with Klopp as a kid growing up in a small town in the Black Forest, playing soccer (it’s called football in the book) with friends and becoming a leader on his soccer team early on. Listening to games of his favorite team, he started to think like a manager, making substitutions that often came to fruition on the field.

At university, he studied sports science and got the chance to play for a German team. And while he enjoyed being on the field, he felt could offer more as a coach, so he would drive for hours to go to German Sport University a couple times a week. He got his chance to coach when the team he had been playing for needed a manager. He was able to raise that team to the Bundesliga, the highest league in German soccer.

From there he went to Borussia Dortmund, where he took a top team and made them champions. Then it was off to England, to Liverpool, where they had been struggling and losing hope. He was the one who turned the team around and made them winners. But he never forgot what was really important—helping people. Whether it was through things like trips to the local children’s hospital or by encouraging his soccer team to play their best, Klopp is a hero, and this small book will inspire fans to find their unique skills and share them to feel successful.

The story of Jurgen Klopp is brought to life by author Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and the charming illustrations of Beatriz Castro. There is even a timeline of his life with photographs of Klopp as a player and a young manager. Young soccer fans will find interesting information and inspiration from this book, which is tiny but packs a punch.

Egalleys for Jurgen Klopp were provided by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books through Edelweiss, with many thanks.