History of Liverpool F.C. (1985–present)
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Liverpool Football Club Liverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Founded in 1892, the club joined the Football League the following year and has p ...
from 1985 to the present day covers the appointment of
Kenny Dalglish Sir Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish (born 4 March 1951) is a Scottish former association football, football player and manager (association football), manager. During his career, he made 338 appearances for Celtic F.C., Celtic and 515 for Liverpoo ...
as manager, the
Hillsborough disaster The Hillsborough disaster was a fatal human crush during a football match at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, on 15 April 1989. It occurred during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in the ...
, and the club's return to
European competition The European Competition is a student competition in which students of all ages submit creative, artistic, or written pieces of work on the activities of the European Union. Tendered by European Movement Germany, it is the oldest student competition ...
in 1991. Throughout this period, the club played in the top tier of English football, which in 1992 became the Premier League. Dalglish was appointed as player-manager after
Fagan Fagan or Phagan is also a Norman-Irish surname, derived from the Latin word 'paganus' meaning ‘rural’ or ‘rustic’. Variants of the name Fagan include Fegan and Fagen. It was brought to Ireland during the Anglo-Norman invasion in the twelfth ...
resigned following the 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster, which resulted in Liverpool's indefinite ban from European competition. Liverpool won a league and FA Cup double in Dalglish's first season, and won a further league title in 1987–88. The Hillsborough disaster, which occurred during an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest at
Hillsborough Stadium Hillsborough Stadium is a 39,732-capacity association football stadium located in Owlerton, a north-western suburb of Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. It has been the home of Sheffield Wednesday since its opening in 1899. The ground has been sub ...
in April 1989, resulted in the deaths of 96 of the club's supporters. After the disaster, Dalglish led the club to their eighteenth title, in 1989–90; he resigned in February 1991. The Taylor Report into the disaster recommended the end of standing terraces; to comply with its findings, Anfield was converted to an all-seater stadium during the early 1990s, which greatly reduced its capacity. Dalglish's successor
Graeme Souness Graeme James Souness (; born 6 May 1953) is a Scottish former professional football player and manager, and current TV pundit. A midfielder, Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s, player-manager of Ranger ...
won the FA Cup in his first full season. In the newly formed Premier League, he struggled to sustain the club's domestic successes and was replaced by
Roy Evans Roy Quentin Echlin Evans (born 4 October 1948) is an English former footballer who played as a defender for Liverpool. He eventually rose through the coaching ranks to become the team manager. While predominantly plyi ...
midway through 1993–94. Liverpool improved to fourth the following season and won the League Cup. In 1998, Gérard Houllier was appointed co-manager alongside Evans. The arrangement lasted until November when Evans resigned and Houllier became the sole manager. The club won a unique
treble Treble may refer to: In music: *Treble (sound), tones of high frequency or range, the counterpart of bass *Treble voice, a choirboy or choirgirl singing in the soprano range *Treble (musical group), a three-piece girl group from the Netherlands *T ...
of trophies in 2001, and a year later finished second to Arsenal, their highest league finish in 11 years. Houllier departed the club in mid-2004. Liverpool won the UEFA Champions League for the fifth time in Rafael Benítez's debut season, and he guided the club to a further FA Cup success in 2006. Midway through the 2006–07 season, the club was bought by Americans Tom Hicks and George Gillett. At the start of the 2010–11 season, Liverpool were on the verge of bankruptcy; the club was sold to
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following a high court ruling.
Roy Hodgson Roy Hodgson (born 9 August 1947) is a former English football manager and player. He managed 22 different teams in eight countries, beginning in Sweden with Halmstads BK in the 1976 season. He later guided the Switzerland national team to th ...
, who took over from Benítez, left the club in 2011; Dalglish was again placed in charge of team affairs and won the 2012 League Cup, Liverpool's eighth win in the competition. Dalglish was replaced by Brendan Rodgers after the team finished eighth in the
2011–12 Premier League The 2011–12 Premier League (known as the Barclays Premier League for sponsorship reasons) was the 20th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The season began on 13 August 2011 and ended on 13 May 2012 with Manchester Ci ...
. Rodgers guided Liverpool to second in 2013–14, but board disagreements over transfers and poor team performances led to his sacking in October 2015. His replacement, Jürgen Klopp, has led the club to a resurgence in form as they appeared in consecutive Champions League finals, winning the latter in
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to earn a sixth European Cup ending a seven-year trophy drought. The following season, he guided the team to the
2019–20 Premier League The 2019–20 Premier League was the 28th season of the Premier League, the top English professional football league, since its establishment in 1992, and the 121st season of top-flight English football overall. The season started on 9 August 2 ...
title, the club's first league title in 30 years and the first under the Premier League format.


1985–90: success at a cost

Dalglish became manager following the resignation of Fagan after the Heysel Stadium disaster. He started by replacing long-serving full-backs Phil Neal and
Alan Kennedy Alan Kennedy (born 31 August 1954) is an English former professional footballer who played the majority of his career as a left back for Newcastle United and then Liverpool. He was a stalwart member of the latter team that won many honours f ...
with Steve Nicol and Jim Beglin. Liverpool began the 1985–86 season poorly and were ten points behind
Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
at the end of September. The club continued to struggle until the end of the season when they won eleven of their last twelve matches, as their rivals were dropping points. Liverpool needed to beat Chelsea in the last game of the season to win the league championship. A goal from Dalglish secured the championship. The club also progressed to the
1986 FA Cup Final The 1986 FA Cup Final was the 105th final of the FA Cup. It took place on 10 May 1986 at Wembley Stadium and was a Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton. The match was played seven days after Liverpool had secured the league title, ...
, where they faced Everton. Liverpool went behind to a first-half goal from Gary Lineker, but two goals from Ian Rush and a Craig Johnston goal in the second half secured a 3–1 victory. The club had achieved a double of league championship and FA Cup in the same season for the first time. At the start of the 1986–87 season, Rush announced his intention to leave Liverpool for Italian team
Juventus Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional Association football, football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football leagu ...
when the season was finished. Rush did not want to leave but the club decided to sell him, as they were short of money due to their expulsion from European competition. Midway through the season, Dalglish signed John Aldridge to replace Rush when he left. Prior to his departure, Rush scored 40 goals. Liverpool finished second in the league behind Everton, and were knocked out of the FA Cup in the third round by Luton Town. The club did reach the
1987 Football League Cup Final The 1987 Football League Cup Final was a football match played on 5 April 1987 between Arsenal and Liverpool. The match, played in front of 96,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium, was won by Arsenal 2–1. Ian Rush opened the scoring for Liverpool ...
, but they were beaten 2–1 by
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
. At the end of the season, Dalglish signed
Peter Beardsley Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE (born 18 January 1961) is an English football coach and former footballer who played as a forward or midfielder between 1979 and 1999. In 1987, he set a record transfer fee in the English game and represented his coun ...
and John Barnes to improve their attack. Liverpool regained the league championship; they did not suffer defeat until their 29th match against Everton, one of two losses during the season. The club had the chance to complete the
double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * Th ...
, as they reached the final of the FA Cup against
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. Although favourites against a club who had become a member of the
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
only eleven years previously, they lost the match 1–0. Rush returned to Liverpool for the start of the 1988–89 season, due to homesickness. Liverpool struggled at the start of the season and by January they were nine points behind leaders Arsenal; by April the teams were level on points, and Arsenal were ahead on
goal difference Goal difference, goal differential or points difference is a form of tiebreaker used to rank sport teams which finish on equal points in a league competition. Either "goal difference" or "points difference" is used, depending on whether matches ar ...
. By this time, Liverpool had reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup against Nottingham Forest at
Hillsborough stadium Hillsborough Stadium is a 39,732-capacity association football stadium located in Owlerton, a north-western suburb of Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. It has been the home of Sheffield Wednesday since its opening in 1899. The ground has been sub ...
on 15 April 1989. Within six minutes the match was abandoned; overcrowding at the Leppings Lane end of the ground resulted in the death of ninety-seven people, as they were crushed against perimeter fencing. Ninety-four fans died, in what became known as the
Hillsborough disaster The Hillsborough disaster was a fatal human crush during a football match at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, on 15 April 1989. It occurred during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in the ...
, that day; the 95th victim died in hospital from his injuries four days later; the 96th died nearly four years later, without regaining consciousness; the final 97th victim died in 2021. Liverpool won the replay 3–1 to reach the final against Everton. They led for the majority of the match from an Aldridge goal.
Stuart McCall Andrew Stuart Murray McCall (born 10 June 1964) is a professional football coach and former player. He is assistant manager at Sheffield United. McCall played in a total of 763 league games and in 40 full international matches for Scotla ...
scored in the 89th minute to take the game into extra-time. Substitute Rush scored in the 95th minute, but McCall scored again in the 102nd minute to level the match. Another goal from Rush two minutes later secured a 3–2 victory for Liverpool. Once again, Liverpool had a chance at the double. Their final match of the season was against second-placed Arsenal, who were three points behind. The game had originally been scheduled for 23 April, but Liverpool's FA Cup commitments meant it was postponed and rearranged for 26 May. Arsenal needed to win the match by two clear goals to win the league championship. They took the lead in the 52nd minute when striker Alan Smith scored. With the match in
injury time Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
,
Michael Thomas Michael or Mike Thomas may refer to: Entertainment * Michael M. Thomas (born 1936), American novelist of financial thrillers * Michael Tilson Thomas (born 1944), American conductor, pianist, and composer * Michael Thomas (actor) (1952–2019), Bri ...
scored to give Arsenal a 2–0 victory. The result meant Arsenal won the championship on goals scored. After the season, an inquiry headed by Lord Taylor was set up to establish the causes of the Hillsborough disaster. The subsequent Taylor Report, published in 1990, found that failure of police control was the main reason for the disaster and recommended that major stadiums remove terracing and become all-seater venues. Liverpool started the 1989–90 season in good form, exemplified by a 9–0 victory over newly promoted Crystal Palace. Eight different players scored for the club, the only time this has occurred in English football. In October and November they lost four games, but they recovered to go unbeaten until a 1–0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in March. Following the match, Liverpool signed forward
Ronny Rosenthal Ronny Rosenthal ( he, רוני רוזנטל; born 11 October 1963), nicknamed "Rocket Ronny", is an Israeli former footballer who played as a forward. After starting his career in his birth city with Maccabi Haifa, Rosenthal went on to play in ...
on loan from Standard Liège. His impact was immediate; he scored seven goals in eight appearances, including a hat-trick against Charlton Athletic to help Liverpool to their eighteenth league championship. The club progressed to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, but they lost 4–3 to Crystal Palace after extra time.


1990–98: decline

Liverpool started the 1990–91 season by winning their first eight league games. They remained unbeaten until a 3–0 loss to Arsenal in December, followed by another to Crystal Palace at the end of the month. The club's form began to tail off and Arsenal moved above them in January. After a 4–4 draw against Everton in an FA Cup replay in February, Dalglish announced his resignation as manager, citing stress as the reason. Coach Ronnie Moran became caretaker manager; he won three of the ten matches he was in charge of, as they fell further behind Arsenal. Former player
Graeme Souness Graeme James Souness (; born 6 May 1953) is a Scottish former professional football player and manager, and current TV pundit. A midfielder, Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s, player-manager of Ranger ...
was announced as manager in April, but the club were unable to catch Arsenal, who won the league by seven points. Souness reshaped the team during the 1991–92 season. Beardsley, Gary Gillespie and Steve McMahon were sold. Souness bought
Dean Saunders Dean Nicholas Saunders (born 21 June 1964) is a Welsh football manager and former professional footballer. As a player, he was a striker in a career which lasted from 1982 until 2001. He played for Liverpool and Aston Villa in the 1990s, and s ...
for £2.9 million, but Liverpool finished in sixth position, the first time they had finished outside the top two since 1981. The club did reach the final of the FA Cup against
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
, which they won 2–0. The season saw Liverpool compete in Europe for the first time since the Heysel stadium disaster in 1985; they were readmitted a year after other English clubs. Liverpool reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup, where they lost to Italian team Genoa 4–1 over two legs.
The Boot Room The Boot Room was a famous room at Anfield, the home of Liverpool F.C. From the 1960s to the early 1990s it was a meeting place where the Liverpool coaching staff would sit, drink tea and discuss the team, tactics and ways of defeating the next ...
, which had been a meeting place for Liverpool's coaches since
Bill Shankly William Shankly (2 September 1913 – 29 September 1981) was a Scottish football player and manager, who is best known for his time as manager of Liverpool. Shankly brought success to Liverpool, gaining promotion to the First Division and winnin ...
was manager was demolished during Souness' time at the club. A new press room was built in its place. Anfield was redeveloped at the start of the 1992–93 season following the recommendations of the Taylor report. A second tier was added to the Kemlyn Road stand, which included
executive boxes The luxury box (or skybox) and club seating constitute the most exclusive class of seating in arenas and stadiums, and generate much higher revenues than regular seating. Club ticketholders often receive exclusive access to an indoor part of th ...
and function suites as well as 11,000 seats. Renamed the Centenary Stand, it was officially opened on 1 September 1992 by Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) president Lennart Johansson. In the inaugural season of the Premier League, Liverpool again finished in sixth place, losing fifteen of their forty-two matches. They exited early in the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. In the 1993–94 season Liverpool won their first three games, but their form dipped as they lost four consecutive games. One positive was the emergence of striker
Robbie Fowler Robert Bernard Fowler (born 9 April 1975) is an English football manager and former player, who most recently managed East Bengal in the Indian Super League. As a player, he was a striker, and is the eighth-highest goalscorer in the history ...
from the club's youth team. He scored on his first-team debut against
Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...
in the first leg of a League Cup tie, and scored all five goals in the return leg as Liverpool won 5–0. Liverpool continued to struggle during the season, culminating in a defeat to
Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
in an FA Cup replay. Souness was sacked after the match and replaced by coach
Roy Evans Roy Quentin Echlin Evans (born 4 October 1948) is an English former footballer who played as a defender for Liverpool. He eventually rose through the coaching ranks to become the team manager. While predominantly plyi ...
. The club ended the season in eighth place after losing sixteen of their games. Liverpool began to fall behind their rivals off the pitch. Manchester United made £93 million after they were floated on the stock market, while Liverpool made £22 million when media company
Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...
bought 9.9% of the club. After the construction of the Centenary Stand, the Spion Kop was redeveloped for the start of the 1994–95 season. The stand became all-seater, retaining the single tier with a reduced capacity of 12,000. In Evans's first full season in charge Liverpool finished in fourth place, their best finish since the departure of Dalglish. The club reached the sixth round of the FA Cup, before losing 2–1 to Tottenham Hotspur and reached the
1995 Football League Cup Final The 1995 Football League Cup Final was a football match played between Liverpool and Bolton Wanderers on 2 April 1995 at Wembley Stadium, London. It was the final match of the 1994–95 Football League Cup, the 35th staging of the Football Le ...
against
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pike's ...
. Two goals from
Steve McManaman Steven McManaman (born 11 February 1972) is an English former footballer who played as a winger for Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester City. McManaman is one of the most decorated English footballers to have played for a club abroad and is ...
helped Liverpool to a 2–1 victory as they won their fifth League Cup. The season also saw several long-serving players leave the club, as Grobbelaar, Nicol and Ronnie Whelan departed. Before the start of the 1995–96 season, Liverpool signalled their intent to improve upon the previous season, signing forward Stan Collymore for a British club record £8.5 million. Collymore scored the only goal in a 1–0 win over Sheffield Wednesday in the first game of the season. The season included a 4–3 win against Newcastle at Anfield in April 1996 with Collymore scoring an injury-time winner – a game considered one of the greatest in Premier League history. Liverpool finished in third place. They reached the final of the FA Cup against Manchester United; an 85th-minute goal from Eric Cantona secured a 1–0 victory for United. The Cup final saw the appearance of Liverpool players in cream Armani suits, an incident which generated most headlines for an under-achieving group of players the media had pejoratively dubbed the Spice Boys, who were perceived as focusing on partying, sports cars, fame and hairstyles rather than football. Liverpool started the 1996–97 season well, and by the turn of the year they were top of the league, two points clear of Arsenal. The club were unable to maintain their form during the rest of the season, losses to
Coventry City Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, Championship, the second tier of the English footbal ...
, Manchester United and Wimbledon resulted in the club finishing the season in fourth position. Despite early exits in the League and FA Cup, Liverpool reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. They were unable to progress after a 3–0 defeat in the first-leg, despite winning the second leg 2–0 and were knocked out 3–2 on aggregate against French team Paris Saint-Germain. Liverpool were without striker Fowler for the start of the 1997–98 season after he suffered knee ligament damage in a pre-season friendly. This was offset by the emergence of Michael Owen, who scored eighteen goals from thirty-six appearances. Paul Ince was signed to replace Barnes who joined
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
. Liverpool were unable to challenge eventual winners Arsenal and finished thirteen points behind in third place. Further redevelopment took place at Anfield during the season with a second tier added to the Anfield Road stand.


1998–2006: fluctuating fortunes

Liverpool appointed Frenchman Gérard Houllier as co-manager alongside Evans for the 1998–99 season. Poor results put pressure on the partnership and after a 3–1 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup, Evans resigned. Houllier's first game as sole manager was a 3–1 defeat to Leeds United. Liverpool's form did not improve under Houllier and early exits in the UEFA and FA Cup were followed by the club finishing the season in seventh place, missing the qualification spots for European competition. Houllier reshaped the squad at the start of the 1999–2000 season. New players were brought into the squad such as Dietmar Hamann,
Sami Hyypiä Sami Tuomas Hyypiä (; born 7 October 1973) is a Finnish football manager and former defender. Hyypiä began his playing career with Ykkönen side Kumu and soon moved to Veikkausliiga outfit MyPa. He spent four years at the club, helping the ...
and Sander Westerveld;
David James Dewi, Dai, Dafydd or David James may refer to: Performers *David James (actor, born 1839) (1839–1893), English stage comic and a founder of London's Vaudeville Theatre *David James (actor, born 1967) (born 1967), Australian presenter of ABC's ''P ...
, Ince and McManaman left the club. Houllier continued the reshaping into the season when he signed forward Emile Heskey for a club record £11 million in March. Liverpool failed to secure a return to the UEFA Champions League, as they finished the season in fourth place. They also performed poorly in the FA and League Cup, exiting early in both competitions. In the 2000–01 season Liverpool won three competitions to complete a unique
treble Treble may refer to: In music: *Treble (sound), tones of high frequency or range, the counterpart of bass *Treble voice, a choirboy or choirgirl singing in the soprano range *Treble (musical group), a three-piece girl group from the Netherlands *T ...
of trophies. The first trophy was the League Cup, when they beat Birmingham City 5–4 in a penalty shoot-out after the match had finished 1–1. They then won the FA Cup, as Owen scored two goals in the last ten minutes to overturn a one-goal deficit to win the match against Arsenal 2–1. The final trophy the club won was the UEFA Cup. An own goal in the last minute of
extra time Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw where the scores are the same. In some sports, this extra period is played onl ...
by Delfí Geli secured a 5–4 victory over Spanish team Alavés. Liverpool finished the league in third place, securing a return to the European Cup (now the UEFA Champions League) for the first time since the Heysel Stadium disaster. Liverpool's participation in the UEFA Champions League in the 2001–02 season saw the club reach the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by German team Bayer Leverkusen 4–3 on aggregate. The season was Liverpool's best in the league in recent years, as they finished second, seven points behind Arsenal. Despite their improved performance in the league, Liverpool were unable to defend the FA and League Cup, exiting in the fourth and third rounds respectively. The season was overshadowed by Houllier's heart problems. He suffered chest pain at half-time during a match with Leeds at Anfield. He had an eleven-hour operation to fix an acute dissection of the aorta and did not return until February. His assistant Phil Thompson took charge of the team in the interim. Houllier signed several players at the start of the 2002–03 season, including
Bruno Cheyrou Bruno Olivier Cheyrou (born 10 May 1978) is a French former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Club career Cheyrou was born in Suresnes, Hauts-de-Seine. After success with Lille OSC, where he scored against Manchester Unite ...
, Salif Diao and El-Hadji Diouf. The former was preferred to Nicolas Anelka, despite the latter performing well during his loan from Paris Saint-Germain the previous season. Liverpool were unbeaten in their first twelve games in the league, which gave them a seven-point lead. A defeat to Middlesbrough in their next game started a run of twelve games without victory until they beat Southampton 1–0 in January. The club finished the season in fifth place. Despite early exits in the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League, Liverpool won the League Cup, defeating Manchester United in the final. The 2003–04 season started poorly for Liverpool as they lost their first game 2–1 to Chelsea. By the end of the year they had lost six of their eighteen matches in the league. In the second half of the season they only lost a further four games to finish in fourth position securing a place in the
2004–05 UEFA Champions League The 2004–05 UEFA Champions League was the 50th season of UEFA's premier European club association football, football tournament, and the 13th since it was rebranded as the UEFA Champions League in 1992. The competition was won by Liverpool F.C., ...
. They exited the UEFA and League Cup in the fourth round. In the FA Cup, they were eliminated by Portsmouth 1–0 in a fifth-round replay. At the end of the season Houllier was replaced as manager by Rafael Benítez. The 2004–05 season was a disappointment in the league as Liverpool finished in fifth place outside the UEFA Champions League qualification places. They were eliminated from the FA Cup third round by Burnley. The club reached the final of the League Cup, but lost 3–2 to Chelsea. Liverpool also reached the final of the UEFA Champions League. A game that would become known as the ''Miracle of Istanbul'', it appeared the club would lose their second final of the season when they were 3–0 down to Italian team Milan at half-time, but three goals in six minutes allowed Liverpool to draw level at 3–3. No goals in extra time meant the match went to a penalty shoot-out, which they won 3–2. A fifth-place finish in the Premier League meant Liverpool were not guaranteed entry into the Champions League and faced the prospect of not being able to defend their European title. UEFA eventually ruled that they would be allowed to do so, but would be required to start in the first qualifying round. They were eliminated in the first knockout round by Portuguese team Benfica. In the 2005–06 season they finished in third place. They also reached the
2006 FA Cup Final The 2006 FA Cup Final was a football match played between Liverpool and West Ham United on 13 May 2006 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. It was the final match of the 2005–06 FA Cup, the 125th season of the world's oldest football knockou ...
where they faced West Ham United. Liverpool won 3–1 in a penalty shoot-out after the match finished 3–3.


2006–15: near misses

The 2006–07 season was Liverpool's first after American businessmen George Gillett and Tom Hicks bought the club, in a deal which valued it and its outstanding debts at £218.9 million. Liverpool once more came third in the league, this time 21 points behind Manchester United. They went out of both domestic cup competitions to Arsenal, but reached the
2007 UEFA Champions League Final The 2007 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Liverpool of England and Milan of Italy at the Olympic Stad ...
where they again faced Milan. Unlike 2005, Liverpool were unable to recover from going behind, and lost the match 2–1. During the summer, Benítez strengthened his team by signing Fernando Torres for a club record £24 million, and midfielders Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun. They drew thirteen of their 38 matches and finished the season in fourth place. Liverpool exited the FA and League Cup in the fifth round, but in the UEFA Champions League reached the semi-finals for the third time in four seasons, where they lost 4–3 on aggregate to Chelsea. Torres scored 33 goals in all competitions, and in the process broke two club records; he became the first Liverpool striker since Fowler to score more than 20 goals in a league season, and equalled Roger Hunt's run of scoring in consecutive league matches at Anfield (8). In the 2008–09 season a 5–1 victory over Newcastle United in December gave Liverpool a three-point lead in the league with half of the season remaining. They did not win any games in January, and despite good form for the remainder of the season, were unable to catch Manchester United and finished in second place. In the FA and League Cup, they were eliminated in the fourth round. In the UEFA Champions League, they were again eliminated by Chelsea, this time at the quarter-final stage. The 2009–10 season was a disappointment for Liverpool as they were unable to improve on the previous season's performance, finishing seventh in the league. They lost eleven matches, nine more than the previous season, to finish outside the top four for the first time since 2005. The club also suffered poor form in the UEFA Champions League, they were eliminated in the group stages and subsequently entered the UEFA Cup (now rebranded as the UEFA Europa League). In the Europa League they reached the semi-finals. Their opponents were Spanish team
Atlético Madrid Club Atlético de Madrid, Sociedad Anónima Deportiva, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), known simply as Atleti in the Spanish-speaking world and commonly referred to at international level as Atlético Madrid, is a Spanish profess ...
, who progressed to the final on the away goals rule after the tie finished 2–2 on aggregate. Benitez left the club by mutual consent at the end of the season and was replaced by
Roy Hodgson Roy Hodgson (born 9 August 1947) is a former English football manager and player. He managed 22 different teams in eight countries, beginning in Sweden with Halmstads BK in the 1976 season. He later guided the Switzerland national team to th ...
. The club was sold to Fenway Sports Group during the 2010–11 season. Accounts had shown that Liverpool were £350 million in debt with losses of £55 million, causing auditor KPMG to qualify its audit opinion. The Royal Bank of Scotland who were the club's creditors, took owners Gillett and Hicks to court to force through a sale. The court ruled in the creditors' favour and the club was sold to Fenway Sports Group for £300 million on 15 October 2010. On the pitch, Liverpool's performances were poor. A 3–1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers in January, left the club in twelfth place in the league with nine defeats from twenty games. Hodgson was sacked after the match and replaced by former manager Dalglish. After a loss in his first match against Manchester United in the FA Cup, Liverpool eventually finished the season in sixth place. Dalglish bought several players at the start of the 2011–12 season, including Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson. They finished in eighth place, the club's worst finish in eighteen years. In both the League Cup and FA Cup, they reached the final. The club won a record eighth League Cup, with a 3–2 penalty shoot-out victory against
Cardiff City Cardiff City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1899 as R ...
after the match finished 2–2. Liverpool lost the
2012 FA Cup Final The 2012 FA Cup Final was a football match between Chelsea and Liverpool on 5 May 2012. It was the final match of the 2011–12 FA Cup, the 131st season of the world's oldest football knockout competition, the FA Cup. Chelsea were participating ...
2–1 to Chelsea. The season was marred by the Luis Suárez racial abuse incident in October during a match against Manchester United, in which he racially abused Patrice Evra. He was fined £40,000 and banned for eight games. Dalglish was sacked at the end of the season and replaced by Brendan Rodgers. Rodgers promised "to dedicate my life to fight for this club and defend the great principles of Liverpool Football Club on and off the field." Liverpool finished seventh in his first season, but outperformed expectations the following season to put them into title contention. A victory over Manchester City put them four wins away from their first title since 1990, but their run of 11 consecutive victories was halted by a 2–0 home loss to Chelsea. The defeat meant the title race was out of Liverpool's control. Having taken a 3–0 lead in their next match – away at Crystal Palace, Liverpool conceded three times in the final 15 minutes to draw 3–3 and they were overhauled by Manchester City. Liverpool went into the final day with a chance of winning the league, but Manchester City beat West Ham to be crowned champions. In July, Suárez was sold to Barcelona for £75 million, and the following January
Steven Gerrard Steven George Gerrard (born 30 May 1980) is an English professional football manager and former player, who most recently managed club Aston Villa. Described by pundits and fellow professionals as one of his generation's greatest players, Ge ...
agreed a move to
LA Galaxy LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began pl ...
at the end of the campaign, ending 17 years at the club. Rodgers was sacked after a poor start to the 2015–16 season.


2015–24: revival under Klopp

Following Rodgers' dismissal, it was announced on 8 October 2015 that Jürgen Klopp had agreed a three-year deal to manage the club. In his first press conference, Klopp stated his intention to bring trophies to the club within four years, and jokingly titled himself 'The Normal One' in a parody of
José Mourinho José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix GOIH (; born 26 January 1963), is a Portuguese professional football manager and former player who is the current head coach of Italian Serie A club Roma. Once dubbed "The Special One" by the British ...
's famous 'The Special One' comments from 2004. After Klopp's appointment, Liverpool reached the finals of the League Cup and UEFA Europa League, losing the former 3–1 in a penalty shoot-out after the match finished 1–1, and the latter 3–1 to Sevilla in Basel. In Liverpool's first full season under Klopp, they finished fourth. Another fourth-place finish followed the season after, and Klopp guided the side to the
2018 UEFA Champions League Final The 2018 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League, the 63rd season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 26th season since it was renamed from the European Cup to the ...
, where they lost 3–1 to
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. Klopp subsequently made a number of high-profile signings, including centre-half
Virgil van Dijk Virgil van Dijk (born 8 July 1991) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for club Liverpool and the Netherlands national team. Considered one of the best defenders in the world, Van Dijk is known for his strength, le ...
in January, for a reported fee of £75 million, a world record transfer fee for a defender. In the same transfer window, attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho was sold to Barcelona with a transfer fee of £105 million, which could rise to £142 million should various clauses be met. In the summer, the club signed midfielders
Naby Keïta Naby Laye Keïta (born 10 February 1995) is a Guinean professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for club Liverpool and the Guinea national team. Keïta began his professional career with Ligue 2 club FC Istres in 2013, and a ...
and Fabinho, forward
Xherdan Shaqiri Xherdan Shaqiri (; born 10 October 1991) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a winger for Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire and the Switzerland national team. Shaqiri began his career at FC Basel, winning honours including t ...
, and goalkeeper
Alisson Álisson Ramsés Becker (born 2 October 1992), known as Alisson Becker or simply Alisson, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Liverpool and the Brazil national team. He is widely regarded to ...
. Liverpool started the 2018–19 season with their best-ever league start, winning their first six matches. A 4–0 win against
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
on Boxing Day saw Liverpool extend their lead in the table to six points at the half-way point of the season and become only the fourth Premier League team to be unbeaten at this stage. Equalling the all-time record for the fewest goals conceded half-way through top-flight season, Liverpool conceded 7 goals and kept 12 clean sheets in 19 matches. Ultimately, Liverpool finished a season-long title battle as runners-up to Manchester City, to whom they suffered their only league defeat of the season. Winning all of their last nine matches, Liverpool scored 97 points, the third-highest total in the history of the English top-flight and the most points scored by a team without winning the title, and remained unbeaten at home for the second season running; their thirty league wins matched the club record for wins in a season. Liverpool reached the Champions League final for the second consecutive year after overcoming a 3–0 first-leg deficit by beating Barcelona 4–0 in the second leg at Anfield. In the 2019 final, Liverpool defeated Tottenham Hotspur 2–0 to secure the club's sixth European title and end a seven-year trophy drought. Liverpool's first game of the 2019–20 season was the
2019 FA Community Shield The 2019 FA Community Shield (also known as The FA Community Shield supported by McDonald's for sponsorship reasons) was the 97th FA Community Shield, an annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's Premier League and ...
where they faced Premier League champions Manchester City, losing 5–4 on penalties. The second trophy under Klopp's management came in the
2019 UEFA Super Cup The 2019 UEFA Super Cup was the 44th edition of the UEFA Super Cup, an annual football match organised by UEFA and contested by the reigning champions of the two main European club competitions, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa Leag ...
, where they defeated league rivals Chelsea 5–4 on penalties. It was Liverpool's fourth triumph in the annual contest, placing them behind only Barcelona and AC Milan, who have five titles apiece. Having finished as runners-up on three previous occasions, Liverpool won their first
FIFA Club World Cup The FIFA Club World Cup is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The competition was first contested in 200 ...
in 2019 after defeating Brazilian club
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1–0 in the final after extra-time, making them the first English side to win the international treble of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. In December 2019 Klopp signed a contract extension keeping him at the club until 2024. Liverpool topped the
2019–20 Premier League The 2019–20 Premier League was the 28th season of the Premier League, the top English professional football league, since its establishment in 1992, and the 121st season of top-flight English football overall. The season started on 9 August 2 ...
by 13 points after 21 games (with two games in hand), registering 61 points from their first 21 games – the most ever at that stage of the season by a side in Europe's top five leagues. On 13 March 2020, after having played 29 games of the season and with Liverpool having an unprecedented 25-point lead over second-place Manchester City, it was announced following a decision by the Premier League, that the current season had been suspended until 4 April 2020 at the earliest, after a number of players and club staff had become ill due to the coronavirus pandemic. This was extended six days later to 30 April. Liverpool finally returned to action against Everton in the Merseyside Derby on 21 June with a 0–0 draw. The 30-year wait for their 19th top flight title (and first in the Premier League era) was finally ended on 25 June with Chelsea defeating Manchester City, leaving City 23 points behind Liverpool with only 21 left available. Liverpool had won the title with a record seven games left in the season. On 27 February 2022, Liverpool won a record ninth League Cup following an 11–10 penalty shoot-out win against Chelsea in the Final. On 3 May 2022, Liverpool defeated Villarreal 5–2 on aggregate in the Champions League semi-finals to reach the final. On 14 May 2022, Liverpool beat Chelsea 6–5 on penalties in the
2022 FA Cup final The 2022 FA Cup Final was an association football match played at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on 14 May 2022. Chelsea and Liverpool were the finalists, the same as in the 2022 EFL Cup Final earlier in the season. This was the first time ...
after a 0–0 draw to win their eighth FA Cup and their first under Klopp, completing the domestic cup double for the 2021–22 season. However, they finished a season-long title battle as runners-up to Manchester City by one point for the second time in four seasons despite having a 3–1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers on the final day in the Premier League. On 28 May 2022, Liverpool were defeated 1–0 in the Champions League final against Real Madrid, Klopp's second Champions League final loss in charge of the club. On 30 July 2022, Liverpool won their first
FA Community Shield The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup. If the Premier Le ...
under Klopp and their 16th overall, defeating
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
3–1 to claim the 2022 title. On 26 January 2024, Klopp confirmed his intention to leave Liverpool at the end of the
2023–24 Premier League The 2023–24 Premier League is the 32nd season of the Premier League and 125th season of English football overall. The fixtures were announced on 15 June 2023 at 09:00 BST. Manchester City are the three-time defending champions, and can beco ...
season. On 25 February 2024, Liverpool won their record-extending 10th English League Cup title defeating Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley Stadium on a 118th minute header by Captain Virgil Van Dijk. On 26 April 2024, BBC News announced that Arne Slot, head coach of Eredivisie Club Feyenoord would take over as head coach in the 2024-25 season.


Notes


References

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Liverpool F.C. History (1985-present) History of association football clubs in England