Thomas Gronnemark, although not widely recognised, is a dead-ball specialist who has left his mark on football. He joined Liverpool in 2018 and has contributed to the club’s successes, including winning the Champions League and the Premier League.
Working with stars such as Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk, Gronnemark also collaborated with renowned coach Jurgen Klopp. His expertise didn’t go unnoticed, leading him to join Thomas Frank at Brentford last summer. When Klopp announced his departure from Liverpool in January, Gronnemark expressed surprise at the decision, emphasising the end of an era at the club.
“Most people were surprised by this decision for Klopp to leave his post at the end of the season, because they thought he would leave when his contract ended” Gronnemark told Tribal Football: “It’s a decision that Klopp had every right to make and, of course, for the fans, it’s very difficult to accept. I understand him well and now the club has the difficult task of finding a good manager, (but) I’m sure they will. The whole community will miss Jurgen, and I’m proud to have worked with him and to have won seven trophies with him.”
Reflecting on his time with Klopp, Gronnemark commented: “He’s a fantastic guy to work with, he’s fun, ambitious and he’s also a great listener. He gives responsibility to his colleagues and he’s not the only person who speaks, (he) allows others to speak too. For example, during my time there, I had the freedom to organise the training session however I wanted, always in coordination with him and his team, but he never interfered in my session and was never forced to do things or change things. Jurgen is good at trusting his team, trusting his players and that’s one of the reasons why people love him. So I loved my five years with Klopp and at Liverpool.”
