Klopp's resolve put to the test over Super League: Richard Buxton
His opposition to a European Super League put him at odds with his paymasters' ambitions
UPDATE: This article has been amended to reflect Liverpool officially withdrawing from the Super League.
From the moment the Super League was announced on Sunday, Juergen Klopp towed the party line as Liverpool manager.
He was – and still is – opposed to a European Super League, yet refused to bite the hand that feeds him.
Conflicting emotions left Klopp swinging wild after the Reds' 1-1 draw with Leeds United yesterday morning (Singapore time).
He veered from an entrenched position on the breakaway ESL to defending its architects and his paymasters, Fenway Sports Group (FSG).
Klopp prides himself as a man of principles; someone that identifies more with the average Liverpool fan on the street than their transatlantic hedge fund overlords.
Had Liverpool stayed with the Super League, Klopp would have been one of its main attractions, but he has been as blindsided by FSG's hare-brained scheme as the game's general populous.
The Americans' ill-conceived house of cards has collapsed, just as their botched attempt to push through "Project Big Picture" was kiboshed.
Manchester City and Chelsea were the first to get cold feet about the Super League plot, claiming they were coerced into it by their fellow big-hitters.
Players at Manchester United reportedly made clear their feelings on a concept that was sprung on them at short notice by the Glazer family, FSG's co-conspirators.
As quickly as it appeared on the radar of the footballing world, the Super League concept has fallen down. An insatiable appetite for a direct rival to the Champions League at boardroom level is failing to trickle down to their respective dressing rooms.
But the extent of its damage could carry far-reaching implications for the clubs involved.
Nine months since Klopp's side memorably ended a 30-year wait to be crowned English Premier League champions, Anfield resembled a battleground.
Multiple protest banners still hang from its gates, many bearing the sage words of Bill Shankly about the importance of socialism.
One bond has remained unbroken by FSG's greed-driven plan, in the form of Shankly's "holy trinity" – which bonds manager, players and supporters alike.
They are unified in the view that this Super League will not enrich the current existence of their lifeblood.
It is unclear how long Klopp could have withstood the scrutiny of going along with something entirely against his own philosophy.
The odds on him becoming the top flight's next managerial casualty, voluntarily or by force, were heavily slashed.
And no matter what lucrative figures are offered to the likes of Lionel Messi, Kevin de Bruyne and Mohamed Salah, it cannot compensate for sacrificing their competitive integrity.
As the "dirty dozen" have found in their hell-bent pursuit of a closed-shop competition, some things in football are more sacrosanct than money.
The latest is that all six English clubs have pulled out from their gluttonous power play while there is still room to do so.
But while some rifts can be healed over time, it remains to be seen if there is any going back or space for potential reconciliation.
Liverpool have already lost the trust of their core support by brazenly chasing a Super League which carries greater drawbacks than benefits.
Had they broken Klopp's resolve, Liverpool could have become the Super League's biggest losers.
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