“I was an average player, and at Mainz I started out as an average coach,” Klopp said about himself. He was a regular from the start in his debut season at Mainz, playing 33 out of a possible 38 games. “I made it to 325 Bundesliga 2 games without mastering a single trick,” Klopp wryly summarised his career, and not without pride. After 14 years in Bundesliga 2, Klopp and Mainz had finally forced their way into the top tier of German football. However, promotion here didn’t mean a final farewell from Bundesliga 2, because after three years in the Bundesliga, Mainz were relegated.