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Jurgen Klopp had promised that this day would come.

It was amidst the wreckage of Liverpool's Europa League final defeat to Sevilla in May 2016 that the manager gathered his heartbroken players and staff together on the dance floor. He had insisted that the party at the team hotel in Basel went ahead despite the outcome.

In the early hours, Klopp delivered a rousing speech as he told them: “Two hours ago you all felt s***. Now hopefully you all feel better.

“This is just the start for us. We will play in many more finals.”

The Reds boss then broke into a rousing rendition of 'We Are Liverpool' and those present followed suit. The mood was instantly lifted.

Two years on Liverpool have not only made it back to a showpiece occasion, they have booked their ticket to the biggest game in club football.

Kopites' love affair with the European Cup has been rekindled in the most extraordinary of circumstances.

They will decamp en masse to Kiev where Real Madrid lie in wait at the Olympic Stadium on May 26.

“It sounds crazy, but it’s the truth,” said a beaming Klopp after a “wild” night in Rome ended with a dramatic 7-6 win on aggregate.

Find a way past Zinedine Zidane's gifted but fallible side and Klopp's name will sit alongside those of Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Rafa Benitez in Anfield's pantheon of greats – the men who delivered Ol' Big Ears to an adoring public.

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It would be an achievement to rank alongside any in Liverpool's illustrious history.

Rewind nine months and simply qualifying for the group stage of the Champions League was viewed as cause for celebration.

After all this was only the second time the Reds had graced the competition in the last eight seasons. Back in August they were ranked as 40/1 outsiders.

Witnessing the jubilant scenes inside the Stadio Olimpico late on Wednesday night, it rammed home just how far Liverpool have come during Klopp's tenure.

The man who dubbed himself 'The Normal One' at his Anfield unveiling in October 2015 has proved himself to be anything but.

Convincing him to end his sabbatical having walked away from Borussia Dortmund five months earlier remains the biggest coup of Fenway Sports Group's reign.

Klopp could have waited and taken a job with greater resources and better guarantees of success.

But the self confessed “football romantic” was lured by the history and tradition of an institution which had fallen on hard times and the sizeable challenge of restoring former glory.

(Image: David Davies/PA Wire)

Liverpool had been on a downward spiral since missing out on the Premier League title in agonising fashion 17 months earlier.

Belief in an under-achieving squad had ebbed away, Brendan Rodgers' side had lost their identity and the fanbase was deeply divided.

From the outset Klopp was a unifying force. He brought hope and excitement as well as passion and charisma. Vowing to turn “doubters into believers”, he galvanised both players and supporters alike.

“Everyone is responsible for everything,” Klopp told his squad.

His “full throttle” brand of attacking football led Liverpool to two cup finals with Rodgers' squad in 2015/16. Both ended in defeat but the progress was undeniable.

In his first full season at the helm he achieved the club's main target of Champions League qualification as they finished above both Arsenal and Manchester United.

This term the bar has been raised considerably. A point at Stamford Bridge on Sunday will secure back-to-back top-four finishes in the Premier League for the first time since 2009.

Their exploits on the European stage have been mesmerising. From sticking seven past both Maribor and Spartak Moscow in the group stage to thrashing Porto 5-0 away in the last 16.

Since the days when Klopp bemoaned feeling “pretty alone” at the sight of fans leaving early, fortress Anfield has been rebuilt. It was an intimidating bearpit for the home triumphs over Manchester City and Roma.

Recruitment has been outstanding. No longer does anyone moan about the transfer committee.

Klopp has embraced the input of Michael Edwards, Dave Fallows and Barry Hunter and cash has been invested wisely.

It's staggering that Klopp has drastically enhanced the squad while returning a profit on his transfer dealings.

The record-breaking Mohamed Salah and fellow speed merchant Sadio Mane have proved to be bona fide gems, while the club record £75million splashed out on Virgil van Dijk shows that Klopp isn't afraid to spend big when he's convinced about the injection of class he will be getting in return.

At the other end of the spectrum, the £10million deal for Andy Robertson now looks like small change. What a story the Scottish left-back has to tell.

From playing as an amateur for Queens Park and working in the Hampden Park offices answering the phone five years ago to relegation with Hull City last May and now an impending tussle with Cristiano Ronaldo in Kiev.

Gini Wijnaldum, whose first away goal for the club effectively wrapped up the tie against Roma, has long since repaid the £25million it cost to prise him away from Newcastle two years ago.

This isn't a team without flaws. They are not the finished article. The chaotic second half in Rome provided further evident of that.

But to bemoan what this Liverpool side can't do is akin to overlooking the beauty of the Colosseum and focusing on how tatty it looks in places.

What they do possess is the most potent front three in Europe and arguably the most all-round centre-forward in Roberto Firmino.

“I prefer training rather than transfers,” Klopp quipped early on in his reign and the Brazilian attacker is the perfect example of the manager's success in getting so more much out of the personnel he inherited.

Dejan Lovren, Jordan Henderson and James Milner also fit into that category.

Klopp's commitment to youth development is showcased by the rise of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who grew up a short walk from Melwood and is living the dream. The teenage right-back savoured every second of the celebrations in front of the away end in Rome and was the last to depart alongside his pal Ben Woodburn.

To truly appreciate what Klopp has masterminded this season you need to factor in the injuries which have deprived the Reds of the likes of Adam Lallana, Nathaniel Clyne, Emre Can, Joel Matip and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

You also need to consider the gamble he took in January when he sanctioned the £142million sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona and didn't buy a replacement.

(Image: Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)

Klopp feared the repercussions of keeping a player, no matter how gifted, whose heart was elsewhere.

He prides himself on the spirit and sense of togetherness which has helped Liverpool dig themselves out of some holes en route to Kiev.

Klopp has harnessed the power of the Kop and made supporters dream again. It was telling that 40 minutes after the dust had settled in Rome he re-emerged from the tunnel and dashed down the touchline, his right fist clenched as the 5,000-strong away end erupted.

His name echoed around the Stadio Olimpico as he conducted the sing song. That bond is rock-solid. Klopp is the perfect fit.

Now Kiev awaits. Now it's about taking the next step.

“They do not hang silver medals at Melwood,” Klopp said. He wants more.

The German coach will be reminded over the coming weeks that he's lost his last five finals.

As he looks to break that sequence, Real Madrid stand in his path, the 12-time winners who have reached the final by knocking out the champions of France, Italy and Germany.

Liverpool have made a habit of upsetting the odds this season and they will need to do so again.

Real have the know-how, Liverpool have the raw desire that comes with a thrilling step into the unknown.

Klopp promised days like these would come and he has delivered. Liverpool are a very different beast compared to that dark night in Basel.

The memories of this run will last a lifetime. Now one more herculean effort is required from Klopp's fearless Reds to ensure they have something tangible to show for it.