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Jurgen Klopp likened the Paralympics opening ceremony to a Taylor Swift concert as he called for greater coverage of the Games after watching his long-time friend Wojtek Czyz play badminton at Paris 2024.
Former Liverpool boss Klopp regards Czyz’s story as the most inspiring he has ever heard and was a high-profile spectator on court one of the La Chapelle Arena on Thursday afternoon.
Czyz had his left leg amputated after breaking his knee in a collision with a goalkeeper while playing football in 2001 before becoming a four-time Paralympic champion for Germany in athletics.
The 44-year-old later helped amputees in developing countries receive prosthetics for free after buying a catamaran and embarking on circumnavigation of the world.
His Paralympic debut for his adopted nation New Zealand, where he settled having become stuck there during the coronavirus pandemic, ended in a 2-0 defeat to Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell in the SL3 men’s singles.
Klopp, who has been friends with Czyz since they met a charity football match in 2002, believes sport has the power to change the world and feels Para events deserve increased exposure.
“I always watch it, if you can, because that’s already a challenge to start, try to find Paralympics on television,” said the 57-year-old, who left Anfield this summer.
“Nowadays it should be easier with all the streaming things but I think we all are ready to watch much more than we show.
“Only a few weeks ago we had the Olympics here and they had more cameras here, of course. Somebody has to start with it.
The stories behind athletes are always special, because my friend is super special, and that's what I love about sport, that it can change the world— Jurgen Klopp
“Broadcasting is a business, 100 per cent, I understand that but I really think we should show much more because it’s so encouraging, it’s so wonderful.
“We experienced the Olympics here in Paris, and before that the world was in a big, big crisis maybe but for these two and a half weeks we forgot it, because that’s what sport can do and that’s what the Paralympics can do and there’s no difference, there’s absolutely no difference.
“The stories behind athletes are always special, because my friend is super special, and that’s what I love about sport, that it can change the world, sometimes only for moments and sometimes forever.
“What I experienced last night was a wonderful opening ceremony. It was like a Taylor Swift concert, outstanding.”
Czyz took just seven points off gold medal hopeful Bethell.
He previously became back-to-back Paralympic F42/F44 long jump champion at Beijing in 2008, having also won T42 100m and 200m gold at Athens in 2004.
“It’s just very, very special, very special,” added Klopp. “I couldn’t be prouder – to do it again in a different sport.
“Imagine you decide tomorrow, ‘by the way, it would be a good idea if I go to the Olympics or the Paralympics’. Whichever sport, you think, ‘what did I like as a kid?’ Here it is, that’s super special.
“It’s the most inspiring story I’ve heard in my life. This story has to be told, it has to be, it has to be, it’s just not normal.”
Czyz had just agreed professional terms with Fortuna Cologne when his life changed forever.
He said: “Jurgen is family. It’s simply incredible that Jurgen wants to come.
“But not only for me, Jurgen is here to simply make a statement that the Paralympics and Para sport is amazing.
“We need people like Jurgen putting the focus on it. It’s a great day today, even though a tough loss.”
British player Bethell, who prefers rugby to football, said: “It’s amazing for someone of that calibre in the sporting world to be here at the Paralympics.
“I did (hear Klopp shout ‘well done’) and got a thumbs up from him as well. That was really special, quite a really surreal moment.”
