Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp Confirms He Did UCL Talk in Cristiano Ronaldo Underwear

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed he conducted his team talk ahead of the 2018 UEFA Champions League final in Cristiano Ronaldo-branded underwear.

Klopp spoke at the Bild awards (h/t Goal's Josh Thomas) after being named Coach of the Year and said he did so after buying the pants by accident:

"That's true...some years ago when I was buying underpants, I simply grabbed the Ronaldo shelf. 

"I still have them, but I have not worn them since the finals. 

"During the final I deliberately wore it and during the session deliberately pulled them very far up to under the nipples. That was funny, looked funny." 

ALBERTO PIZZOLI/Getty Images

Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum had given an insight into the affable German's preparation ahead of the final to Raphael Honigstein of The Athletic (h/t Goal's Stephen Darwin).

The Dutchman revealed the coach "did the meeting with his shirt stuffed inside his 'CR7' boxers" and that he has "done hundreds of jokes likes that" to break the ice in such circumstances.

The Reds faced Ronaldo's Real Madrid side in the Champions League final that season before the Portuguese superstar joined Juventus. Los Blancos were the victors that day with a 3-1 win in Kiev, Ukraine.

Liverpool reached the final again last season, though, and after they beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in Madrid to win their sixth top-level European title, Klopp was understandably in good spirits:

He was on form after his side won the UEFA Super Cup last week when goalkeeper Adrian denied Chelsea's Tammy Abraham in a penalty shootout, too:

Klopp has had an incredible impact at Liverpool since his arrival in 2015, transforming the team from one that picked up 62 points in the season before he arrived to an outfit that racked up 97 in the last campaign.

With the Champions League and the Super Cup, he's now secured silverware at Liverpool, whose last trophy was the League Cup in 2012.

Much of that is down to his ability to coax intense, attacking football from the side, but his man-management has evidently been an effective aspect of his coaching, too.