"We can come up with all sorts of excuses, but I've always firmly believed we were relegated because we lost our way. We forgot what kind of team Mainz is supposed to be!
"When I was tempted by Bayern, when our players started to think they were stars, when our management thought the club was running well…"
"That's when the damned disaster struck!"
"Relegation was the ultimate punishment for betraying who we are!"
By the end, Klopp was shouting with such fervor that spit flew from his mouth.
Everyone in the locker room was stunned.
Clearly, this was the first time Klopp had ever said such things in front of his players.
And it wasn't just the long-serving veterans like Foyelner and Nowitzki who were most deeply affected.
Kalhan and Wang Shuo, too, were fired up by Klopp's words and actions.
Wang Shuo felt the power and conviction flowing from his coach.
