Klopp: Fergie is fan of me
JURGEN KLOPP struggled to understand Sir Alex Ferguson when they first met – but he was in no doubt about his managerial record.
And he is happy to know Manchester United icon Ferguson is also impressed by his work.
The Liverpool manager is aware their relationship would have been very different if he was in charge at Anfield when Ferguson was United boss.
But he admits he admired Ferguson from afar when he was starting out his managerial career at Mainz and the Scot was conquering all.
“He is one of the biggest if not the biggest in world football,” said Klopp, below, whose side will take on United in front of Ferguson at Old Trafford tomorrow. “You can say that with all the things he achieved.
“Where he started, where he came from and what he did with the club. All that stuff. It’s just incredible.
“As a young manager – a couple of years ago, I was a young manager – it’s not allowed to compare yourself or think about what he is doing and then compare to what you’re doing. It was a completely different world. It’s a different job. I always admired him.
“I’m pretty sure when he was in charge he didn’t want us [Liverpool] to be successful.
“Maybe he doesn’t want that now but the opinion is probably not that strong anymore because he said already a couple of times, I heard, he likes what we are doing here.”
Klopp got the chance to sit down with Ferguson for breakfast at a managers’ conference when he was in charge of Borussia Dortmund.
“He is a fantastic person,” said Klopp. “I met him a couple of times. The first time sitting together we met at Nyon, where the managers’ meeting was for the Champions League coaches, and nobody was there.
“I asked if someone was here and they said, ‘Yes Sir Alex Ferguson is in the breakfast room’. I came in and he was like, ‘Oh Jurgen, come here’.
“I came in and for the first half an hour I had no clue what we were talking about because of the Scottish thing.
“I tried to be really, really friendly and step by step I got it. It’s still