24 THE PREM ERA
“He’d been working non-stop for a long
time and finally has the chance to look
back, reflect, analyse and do things he
didn’t have time for because of his
Bundesliga and Champions League
commitments. He’s enjoying having
the time to be a private person.
“Previously he’d go and visit his
mother for two or three hours. Now he
can stay with her for two or three days.
He’s leading an unspectacular life and
is thankful for the privilege.
“Physically and mentally, he’s
getting ready for a new challenge.
He’s continuing to educate himself.”
Although Klopp clearly is spoilt for
choice, many German pundits subscribe
to the theory that he will not even jump
the border. Instead, next summer, he
could take over from Pep Guardiola
at Bayern Munich.
With Guardiola’s contract due to
expire at the end of this season, and
the Catalan maestro showing little sign
of opening extension talks, a major
vacancy could well be in the offing at
the Allianz Arena. Even Dortmund’s
CEO, Hans-Joachim Watzke, a good
friend of Klopp, has been predicting
such an outcome.
“Jurgen Klopp is a candidate for
every top club,” Watzke declared in the
Rheinischen Postthis summer. “Klopp
and Bayern would work100 per cent.
He couldn’t go wrong there.”
Some argue that Klopp’s strong
identification with the Dortmunder will
make it almost impossible for him to be
accepted at arch-rivals Bayern. But it’s
not an insurmountable hurdle. Ottmar
Hitzfeld enjoyed untold success in
Bavaria after making the same switch
in1998 and, as is well known, Klopp
can be quite a charmer.He certainly did not seem to have
an anti-Bayern agenda when asked
in May if he had ever thought about
assuming control there. “Yes, of course,”
he replied, “Why shouldn’t I imagine it?
I’m a football coach and want to work
for a while yet.”
Despite his popularity among Real
Madrid fans - he was the number one
choice of club members to succeed
Carlo Ancelotti when the latter was
forced out at the end of last season- a move to the Bernabeu might be
a risky business. Whereas his modus
operandi is to patiently construct a
winning team and develop his players
step by step, Real president Florentino
Perez speaks only in the present tense.
He may not be given sufficient time.
The reality at the Bernabeu is that the
vision belongs to Perez and rather than
building to his own design, Klopp merely
would be the sub-contractor. Not his style.
Not the way he sees his profession.
Unable to speak Spanish beyond
ordering a beer, Klopp effectively would
be juggling with one hand in La Liga. His
communication and motivational skills
are one of his greatest strengths and
without that direct means of expression,
he probably would struggle.
Should he go abroad, the smart
money has to be on an assignment
in England. He has long admired the
Premier League’s atmosphere, intensity
and folklore. He has a command of the
language and, in common with most
supporters in the UK, he likes his
football to be played at a rapid rate
of knots, famously insisting that
every aspect of Dortmund’s play
be conducted at blistering pace.
To coin a phrase: his football
would be coming home.
Dortmund delight...Klopp lifts the 2011-12 Bundesliga shield – his second successive German league titleDankeKlopp...
Dortmund fans
give their former
manager a fitting
send off“The Premier League is very exciting
for him,” Kosicke told German sports
websiteSpox. “We’re not only thinking
about the top four. There are other big
clubs below. It’s more interesting for
him togotoastadium, experience the
energy and feel he can make a difference
than strive for the biggest goals.”
Those quotes were interpreted
in the English media as a reference
to Liverpool, who finished sixth in the
Premier League last season and have
not won the domestic championship
for 25 years. While it is anything but a
done deal, Klopp undeniably does have
the sort of “man-of-the-people” vibe
that former manager Bill Shankly so
memorably exploited during his
legendary days at Anfield.
It’s not prestige or financial rewards
which puts the wind in Klopp’s sails. He
coaches for the buzz, the roar of the
crowd and ultimately will make a gut
decision. Much will depend on how he
feels about the challenge, the locality,
the chemistry with his employers.
No wonder so many clubs have his
agent’s number on speed-dial. Loyal,
psychologically brilliant and inventive,
Klopp is the modern-day coach par