Under Jurgen Klopp’s management, Liverpool is flying high, leading the Premier League points table ahead of defending champions Manchester City and formidable contender Arsenal. This season, Unai Emery’s resilient Aston Villa is in the mix among the top four teams.
The German boss has inspired the Reds, who have witnessed immense success under his charge. Klopp’s optimism played a crucial role in helping the Merseyside club regain its reputation. Recently, one of his former star players, James Milner, revealed information about a bizarre fine system used to maintain discipline on the team.
James Milner details Klopp’s unique fine system
The English international James Milner is one of the most recognizable figures, especially in the English Premier League. The vastly experienced midfielder, with over 850 appearances, has represented prominent English sides, namely Manchester City, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, and Liverpool.
Presently, Milner is contracted with Brighton & Hove, the club he joined earlier this year in July, ending his eight-season-long stay at Anfield with Liverpool. The 37-year-old played a monumental role in Liverpool’s successive trophy-winning seasons under Jurgen Klopp.
During his spell with the Reds, he made 332 appearances, scoring 26 goals and providing 46 assists. In terms of trophies, he won seven titles, including the UEFA Champions League, Premier League title, Club World Cup trophy, FA Cup, and League Cup.
The veteran midfielder was among the senior figures in the team and shouldered captaincy responsibilities during his time. Additionally, Milner was the person in charge of collecting fines from his teammates for violations of disciplinary measures, as he revealed in The High-Performance Podcast.
He revealed: “We had the fines. We had a court case, we had a big inflatable dice, you had to roll it, and things like that. If someone was late but they had a reason or flip flops in the gym and there was a reason.
“We randomly drew who was on the jury that day and I would be running the court and arguing why someone should be fined. And someone would argue the case if they shouldn’t be fined.”
Utilizing an unconventional system involving inflatable dice and conducting court sessions with the squad, Jurgen Klopp determined the fine outcomes and the punishment the player would face in the event of prosecution.
“So, the dice was you could either pay the fine or you had different things. One would be a double payment. One would get off with it. One would be a forfeit,” he added further.
Jurgen Klopp once questioned FA after $94298 fine
Klopp is renowned for his outspoken nature. The German boss never shies away from speaking his mind. Besides being the manager, he has been more of a mentor for Liverpool players. From providing bizarre solutions to end the VAR controversy to shutting down an ‘ignorant’ journalist in the press conference, the German wasn’t shy is speaking out his mind outright.
Last season, Liverpool’s boss did not hold back against the FA and questioned where the monetary fine goes, following a $95,000 fine in addition to a touchline suspension for two games.
He said, “like to know” and If it does, I’m happy to pay for it. If it doesn’t, we need to talk again”.
The strict imposition came after Klopp made comments about match referee Paul Tierney following Liverpool’s 4-3 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on April 30th, 2023. In that season, Liverpool subsequently missed out on Champions League qualification, finishing 5th in the league.
What do you think of Jurgen Klopp’s unique fine system? Make sure to tell us in the comments.
