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Jurgen Klopp only has thoughts on winning the Europa League - and refused to even think about the possibility of losing the final with Liverpool in Basel on May 18.

The Reds boss was an emotional man in the aftermath of the Reds’ superb semi-final display against Villarreal at Anfield on Thursday and was in no mood to let his obvious delight be tempered by any negative thoughts towards that decider agaianst Sevilla.

Liverpool’s thrilling Europa League run has seen them knock out Manchester United in the last 16 - in the first ever European meeting between the two great rivals – produce an astonishing comeback on one of Anfield’s greatest nights to beat Klopp’s former charges and tournament favourites Borussia Dortmund, and overcome a 1-0 first leg deficit to remove one of the best teams in Spain.

It means a sixth journey to a final as a manager for Klopp but after winning the first he has ended up losing the final four.

After starting out with a sensational victory over Bayern Munich with Dortmund in the German Cup in 2012, he lost both a Champions League final in 2013 and a German Cup final in 2014 to the same team before a 2014 German Cup final loss to Wolfsburg.

And Klopp was asked whether it would all be for nothing if the Reds did not now go on and lift the trophy in Switzerland in under two weeks’ time?

It was a thought he wouldn’t even countenance.

Klopp said: “I thought someone would wait a little bit longer before asking me about losing a final. Why should I get to a final and then think about what happens if I lose it? I don’t care. I am going there for one reason. Don’t ask me that again.

“It’s not the same if you win or lose. I’ve had both situations in my life and it is not the same feeling. The City final is a good example. Against a brilliant team. We came back and never gave up and lost a penalty shoot-out. At the end of my life I do not want to look back and think, ‘ah we lost a final’. To reach a final is good. To win it you need right decisions at the right moments, a little bit of luck at the right moment and the right referee at the right moment. That is how it is.

“To be honest, the last few finals I had, please watch them and tell me if all these defeats were deserved. We always played really good, but you can lose. That’s how it is. If you play your best there is higher possibility you will win.”

I saw the players working - where is the miracle?

From his late arrival in October, through a raft of injuries holding back progress throughout the winter and a punishing schedule of games, the passage to a European final feels most unlikely.

But the German has no time for suggestions he has delivered something approaching a miracle with two cup finals for Liverpool in less than eight months in the job.

He has been around too long not to realise that the praise of today can swiftly morph into the criticism of tomorrow while stressing results have been down to the players’ own qualities.

“Take this and use it in the moment when you think I am s**t. Say then ‘ah, the beginning was not bad’. I don’t know. A miracle? I saw the players working. Where is the miracle? We came back against Dortmund – see how often they have lost or drawn in 2016, not a lot. Not a lot of teams could do it, that’s a sign of quality, nothing else. Maybe I said a few words at half-time and maybe they were the right words and gave the feeling they were still in the game but what they did was what it is.

“The first half hour (against Villarreal) I have not seen this often from a team. It was pure power. Then we stopped a bit and could have played better, but we came back in the second half. I enjoyed the game. It was great. Now I’m not thinking about other things...”

Klopp’s close relationship with his players has been evident in those famous hugs delivered regularly on the pitch or touchline but he is clear that it would not be the right approach for every manager.

“Hopefully it is like this because we are really often together. It is because of the boys. It makes it easy. We have a good relationship and that is very important when you have so many hours every day. You want to feel close to your players.

I know what 10,000 Liverpool fans can do

“There are a lot of ways to Rome. The most successful managers in the world may have different relations with the players – I can’t change my character. Maybe I should in some parts, but not this. It is about my players. They are really good boys and I’m really pleased for them.”

Klopp has helped restore a strong relationship stretching between the players, himself and the fans, creating matches with a pulsating atmosphere, whether in the streets beforehand or after the first whistle.

But how exactly has he done it?

“The people were pretty open when I came here. They were waiting for something. I do not know what exactly. I came and had to adapt and they were happy about it. That was the first step. Then it is about performances. The football fan worldwide is not the most patient. You (the media) are not the most patient. That is the situation.

“I care about the relationship with the crowd but that is only one part as we must create this wonderful game in a way that they enjoy easily. My team, from the first minute you could see, were creating a real problem and that was wonderful to see. That’s what we wanted to show.

“You need luck but if you go out in a semi-final it can be for no other reason than you were unlucky. It was not lucky. It was deserved.”

One of the only downsides to reaching the final is the scrum for tickets with Basel’s St-Jakob’s park holding only 35,000 for the occasion and with just over 10,000 of those currently destined for Reds’ fans.

With the supporters having had a big role to play in the march to the showpiece, is he worried about the effect the restricted ticket allocation could have on the backing for his team?

“No problem. I know what 10,000 Liverpool fans can do. I was at Wembley and I know there were more but it is how it is. Of course we need them, but we will be 10,000 plus 11 and it can work.

“It is a great opportunity but a final is a final, it’s no home game for either side. We played some really good football in away games so it is not that we say we can only do this at Anfield. If we need Anfield, we know it is there, it’s great and we can trust it.

“I don’t know what percent we will have in the stand but to be part of it is one of the best things I have ever felt.”