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The Wembley showdown with Barcelona provides the glamour for Liverpool this weekend - but Sunday’s trip down memory lane means just as much to Jurgen Klopp.

After playing in front of a 90,000 sell-out crowd in the capital on Saturday, the Reds fly to Germany and a place Klopp regards as ‘home’.

Mainz, the club Klopp served with distinction for 18 years, provide the opposition in Liverpool’s final pre-season friendly.

The 49-year-old is guaranteed a rapturous reception. There won’t be a spare seat at the recently renamed Opel Arena – the 34,000-capacity stadium the Bundesliga outfit moved into back in 2011.

It’s an occasion that the Liverpool boss is relishing.

“It’s the place where I grew up,” he told the ECHO.

“After the town where I was born, Mainz is my home town.

“I still have a lot of friends there. I love the club. It’s a wonderful club. And I love the idea that I can introduce Liverpool to Mainz and Mainz to Liverpool.

“I know they met when Rafael Benitez was in charge in 2006. Mainz won a friendly 5-0! But this is different.

“I went back there once during my four-month break (after leaving Borussia Dortmund last summer). I watched a home game and it was very nice to see a lot of old friends. There was no pressure, nothing to do but talk rubbish if you like about old times.”

Born in Stuttgart, Klopp grew up in the Black Forest village of Glatten before signing for Mainz in 1990.

He spent his entire professional playing career with the club before taking over as manager in 2001.

After twice falling agonisingly short, Klopp got Mainz promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time in their history in 2003/04.

Against the odds, he kept them there for three seasons before they slipped back into the second tier. In the summer of 2008 he stepped down and headed for Dortmund.

“That promotion is still the biggest achievement in my professional life,” Klopp told the ECHO.

“To do that with Mainz was much more difficult than becoming champions with Dortmund.

“When you miss out two times in a row like we did, missing out by one point and one goal, then to think of more pressure is not possible.

“What we did then was unbelievable. It was the first time in 100 years. It was a wonderful team and squad. I had a fantastic time.

“Sunday is an important day for Mainz. It’s their season opener and it will be good to be there.

“Their stadium has a new name, the Opel Arena. It’s a sell-out. They are all waiting for us. They sold all the tickets in five minutes.

“Barcelona in front of 90,000 on Saturday, unbelievable, and then Mainz, nice.

“That’s how football should be. When there’s no pressure, you should play in places where it makes sense and both these opponents are good to play.”