Liverpool sealed their place in the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday evening with a 3-1 win at the Allianz Arena over Bayern Munich.
Sadio Mane scored twice with Virgil van Dijk adding another as Liverpool made an admittedly less than vintage Bayern look well below average, despite Klopp’s side not even playing at their best.
Nonetheless, Bayern are considered European heavyweights and were genuine contenders for this season’s European Cup, and Liverpool rocking up in Germany and winning so emphatically in their backyard says much about the Anfield club.
Klopp is of the same opinion, with the Liverpool manager believing the club are now returning to the top table of European football.
“It’s massive, a big step for us,” said Klopp.
“We will see what we can do with it but it’s still fantastic for us that Liverpool as a club, we really are back for the last games of international top football.
“We all feel that’s where this club belongs and we proved it at least a little bit.
“There are some places in the world where whichever team would struggle. If Barcelona comes here, if Real Madrid comes here, Manchester City, it is not that they expect to win. They know it is a very tough place to come.
“But we kept them as often as possible away from our goal. I don’t know about the statistics, but my impression is that there were not too many difficult situations in and around our box.
“It’s the first step to win a game like this. Playing your best football, free-flowing, is not possible against this team because you cannot use your speed really.
“You have to find different ways. We found that and that makes me feel really proud and happy.
“I really think this club deserves to have awareness again. We have a lot to improve, a lot to learn, but we are back and I like that very much.”
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