Date of birth: 16 June 1967
Nationality: German
Playing career: SV Glatten, TuS Ergenzingen, 1. FC Pforzheim, Eintracht Frankfurt, Viktoria Sindlingen, Rot-Weiss Frankfurt, 1. FSV Mainz 05
Coaching career: 1. FSV Mainz 05, Borussia Dortmund

• Having spent his early career in the lower leagues and failed to break into Eintracht's first team, Klopp turned professional with Mainz, starting off as a striker before becoming a no-nonsense defender. Never played in the top flight but made 325 second-division appearances from 1990 to 2001, setting a club record, scoring 52 goals.

• 'Kloppo', as he is known in Germany, was appointed Mainz's caretaker coach on 28 February 2001, helping the club avoid relegation to the third tier.

• Duly won a permanent contract and over the next few years built Mainz into one of the strongest clubs in the 2. Bundesliga; narrowly missed out on promotion in 2002 and 2003, Mainz losing out to Eintracht by a single goal in the latter campaign.

• Finally took Mainz into the top flight for the first time in 2004 and kept them in the Bundesliga until 2007, taking them into the 2005/06 UEFA Cup via the UEFA Fair Play ranking – they lost to eventual winners Sevilla FC in the first round.

• After another near miss for promotion in 2007/08 Klopp – whose enthusiasm and passion, plus his stint as a TV pundit, have made him popular all over Germany – left for Dortmund. Took them to sixth in his first season, led them into the UEFA Europa League in the following campaign and then, with a squad packed with exciting young talent, oversaw league title wins in 2010/11 and 2011/12, adding the German Cup in the latter campaign.