Liverpool was eliminated from the Europa League on Thursday after their 1-0 victory over Atalanta failed to overcome their deficit in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, the German champions Bayer Leverkusen advanced to the round of four with their 1-1 draw against West Ham.
The Liverpool team wanted to send the German coach off with a memorable victory in the Dublin final during his final season as club manager.
However, Liverpool had just poorly lost—3-0—to Atalanta at Anfield in the first leg of their match.
And while Liverpool has pulled off some of the biggest comebacks in European football history against teams like Barcelona, AC Milan, and St Etienne, there won't be a miraculous escape this time.
In the seventh minute of the second leg in Bergamo, Mohamed Salah scored from a penalty after Trent Alexander-Arnold's cross struck Matteo Ruggeri's arm.
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But Klopp's team could not penetrate the stubborn Atalanta defense again.
Liverpool's Premier League title challenge was ruined on Sunday by an unexpected home loss to Crystal Palace, so it has been a terrible week for the team.
"Emotions are mixed here. "I'm happy with the game, but we're out," Klopp remarked.
"It was clear we gave ourselves a massive hurdle. We wished we could have gone to Dublin but that hasn't happened."
While Klopp mulls over his nine-year stint at Liverpool, during which he failed to win the one major trophy he had been chasing, Atalanta can hope to win the second trophy in their 116-year history, following the 1963 Coppa Italia.
Gian Piero Gasperini's team will play Marseille in their first European semifinal since the 1988 Cup Winners' Cup, hoping to reach their first-ever European final.
Leverkusen, who had just won their first Bundesliga title the previous weekend, overcame a scare from West Ham to win 3-1 overall.
Xabi Alonso's team will face Roma in the semifinals. Roma defeated AC Milan 3-1 overall.
Leverkusen prevailed 2-0 in the first leg, but in the thirteenth minute, Michail Antonio gave West Ham the ideal start in east London by meeting Jarrod Bowen's pinpoint cross with a close-range header.
As West Ham finally ran out of steam, Jeremie Frimpong scored in the 89th minute after Aaron Cresswell's shot deflected in.
"The momentum was with West Ham. To be honest, we were not at our best in the first half. I'm happy to go through. In the Europa League you always have tough moments," Alonso said.
