- Klopp advocates for his close confidant: "The narrative needs to be shared"
In his role as a lucky charm, Jürgen Klopp struggled initially. His long-time friend Wojtek Czyz was at a disadvantage in his Badminton debut at the Paralympics in Paris. "I'll have to see if he can make an appearance again. It wasn't a great day for me. Maybe he was the cause," said Czyz, who has won gold four times in athletics for Germany at the Paralympics and now represents New Zealand.
Football coaching legend Klopp took the light-hearted criticism in stride and demonstrated his renowned motivational skills, despite his current absence from professional life. "Let's wait and see. That was just the beginning of the Paralympics, not the end," said the 57-year-old. "It's amazing to be here, I gained seven points from him. No, I sat next to his wife Elena and we both had tears in our eyes." With pride, Czyz's qualification was already a success in itself.
Football-related Amputation
The 44-year-old had to amputate his left lower leg after a collision in a football match. Shortly before that, he had signed his first professional contract at the age of 21. Czyz and Klopp crossed paths during his rehabilitation, and later, the Polish-born Czyz played in a charity match for 1. FC Kaiserslautern against FSV Mainz 05, which Klopp was managing at the time. "We don't speak every day. But we've known each other for 23 years," said Klopp. "It's funny, we lost touch for a while, until we unexpectedly ran into each other in 2015 in Lisbon's harbor. Wojtek was playing Frisbee there."
In Paris, the visibly relaxed and tanned Klopp also used his free time to promote inclusivity. He attended the opening ceremony at Place de la Concorde, observing the entertainment. "It was brilliant, like a Taylor Swift concert - outstanding. It was only an hour and a half too long for my taste. At the end, I felt like the athletes should go home, rest for the competition," he said.
The story of his friend moved the former coach of Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool FC. "It's the most incredible story I've ever heard in my life. It needs to be shared, and I've already shared it more than 500 times," said Klopp. "What he has accomplished, no one I know has done."
Sailing Around the World with His Wife
Czyz became the German champion in the 100-meter sprint six months after his amputation. Two years later, he won gold in long jump and the 100 and 200-meter sprints at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens. After amassing four more Paralympic medals, he retired and took up the "Sailing4handicaps" project. Alongside his wife Elena Brambilla, he embarked on a catamaran he purchased himself, installing a prosthetic workshop on board to help provide it in developing countries.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple decided to relocate to New Zealand. Czyz picked up badminton again and realized his dream of competing in the Paralympics for New Zealand in this sport as the first player from the country. "We celebrated his qualification together. There were so many skeptics who stated what I was trying to do was impossible," said Czyz. "But then Jürgen said: 'Look Wojtek, we're here. I'm here because of you - enjoy it.'"
"We need individuals like Jürgen."
After the opening ceremony - conversely to the Olympics - no major global stars took the stage. Klopp's presence conveyed a message. "We need people like Jürgen to focus on inclusion. It's a great day," said Czyz with a smile, despite the setback that even Jürgen Klopp couldn't prevent from the stands. Czyz still had two chances to advance after losing 0-2 to gold hopeful Daniel Bethell from the UK. Could he seek Klopp's support again?
Despite his focus on sailing, Wojtek Czyz decided to challenge himself in badminton and aim for the Paralympics in Paris, just like Klopp watched him excel in other sports earlier.接下来，wojtek Czyz决定挑战自己，在巴黎的平登姿能展现出来。
Jürgen Klopp enjoyed his time in Paris, not only supporting his friend Wojtek Czyz in his Paralympics debut but also advocating for inclusivity during his leisure activities.在巴黎，jürgen klopp不仅支持了朋友wojtek Czyz在平elta奥運会上的演出，而且在自由时间中也担心包含性。
Translation:
Wojtek Czyz, despite focusing on sailing, challenged himself in badminton and aimed for the Paralympics in Paris, just like Klopp had watched him excel in other sports earlier.
During his free time in Paris, Klopp not only supported his friend Wojtek Czyz in his Paralympics debut but also advocated for inclusivity.
