Jurgen Klopp has been here before. In 2011 he won the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund, finishing 10 points clear of a crisis-ridden Bayern Munich. It was considered an astonishing achievement given that Dortmund had been on the brink of liquidation in 2004.
Yet, when Klopp addressed his Dortmund players that summer as they embarked upon defending their title, there was no rousing team talk or psychological trick designed to motivate them to climb the mountain for a second time.
'We didn't expect to win the league again because there was no chance, because there was a big competitor in Bayern Munich and usually, if you beat them, they strike back with all they have,' recalls Klopp.