Jurgen Klopp has hailed the “incredible impact” made by a pair of German neuroscientists in Liverpool’s Carabao Cup triumph.
The Reds have been working with neuro11, a Potsdam-based company, since the summer, and its co-founders, Patrick Hantschke and Dr Niklas Hausler, were at Wembley on Sunday to watch Klopp’s side beat Chelsea after a long and nerve-wracking penalty shootout.
All 11 of Liverpool’s players, including goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, scored from the spot, and Klopp revealed that neuro11 had worked with his squad ahead of the final around the idea of set-pieces, and in particular penalties.
What did Klopp say?
Asked about the work of neuro11, he told reporters: “Incredible impact. It’s actually a nice story. A few years ago I got in contact with them because I found their ideas interesting, and now they are a fixed part of our coaching staff.
“They are not here all the time, they are in Germany obviously, but they come over quite frequently. They were here for the last week, and before that they were here for five days.
“All the players are really excited about it. It’s about bringing specific players before a set-piece in the right mindset by doing the stuff we do on the pitch.
“Everything gets measured. They are neuroscientists, and it’s incredibly interesting and incredibly important to us.
“[It is] a very interesting new chapter for us because it’s not only penalties - although in the last week it was a lot about penalties because of the upcoming final. It’s about free-kicks, all kinds of [other] set-pieces as well.
“I said after the game the last boys in the shoot-out] were not on the list, so the burden is mine because nobody expected it to go on too long. But even with Ibou (Ibrahima Konate) they worked together and that helped.
Klopp added: “It’s an interesting question, if Chelsea worked together with them as well, because there was just one penalty difference. But it’s about the confidence they gave the boys that they really can do it, and I’m really happy about it.
“Penalties were the most obvious thing, but it’s all the set-pieces – corners, free-kicks, direct free-kicks, crosses, all those kinds of things.
“Whoever comes in those positions and situations [regularly] has extra sessions with the neuro11 guys.”
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