With Liverpool’s heavyweight clash with English Premier League leaders Arsenal right around the corner, German boss Jurgen Klopp was full of praise for his counterpart Arsene Wenger.
The Reds will welcome the Gunners to Anfield on Wednesday, with 12 points separating the eighth-placed Merseyside giants and the north London side, as both team look to overcome a worrying injury crisis.
Nonetheless, Klopp admitted that beating the 66-year-old will prove a serious challenge, whilst lamenting the Gunners manager’s experience as one to appreciate.
“My respect goes up day-by-day because it’s really intensive to work in the Premier League, especially in a team with international matches [for their players] too,” said Klopp.
“He had always my biggest respect but now it’s a little bit bigger since I’m here. That’s really a brilliant job he’s done – 19-and-a-half years.
“He’s a high-quality manager, one of the best in the world for sure. This long period, it’s really rare that you can do this but he did. He’s a football maniac, in the best [sense of the word].
“It was always a challenge to play against him and again a challenge that I’m looking forward to.”
The German and French managers are no strangers, and will rekindle a rivalry based on mutual respect and admiration (unlike Arsene’s relationship with a certain Portuguese boss) come Wednesday’s encounter.
Six times have the two bosses locked horns, all coming in the Champions League during Klopp’s reign at BVB, and although Klopp has been growing more in popularity when compared to Wenger, it is the Frenchman who boasts the better numbers.
But only by the slightest of margins, that is, winning 3 of their six encounters, compared to Klopp’s 2 victories.
However, with Jurgen now in England, the slate has been wiped clean, as the Liverpool manager looks to seal a win in his first Premier League clash with Le Prof.
