Jurgen Klopp: The One Premier League Manager the German Admires Amid Talks of Liverpool Replacement

• Klopp announced he will leave the Reds at the end of the season
• Several big names have been linked with the Liverpool job
• One of those managers recently received huge praise from Klopp

Jurgen Klopp’s previous comments on Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi have resurfaced, just hours after the German announced he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the current campaign.

Since Klopp’s announcement, several big names have been linked with the Liverpool job, and De Zerbi is one of them.

The other strong contender is Bayer Leverkusen tactician Xabi Alonso, whose unbeaten record in the German top flight this season has attracted several admirers.

De Zerbi however is a strong candidate and holds an advantage over Alonso due to the fact that he has some experience in the Premier League.

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A former Sassuolo coach, the Italian was appointed by Brighton in 2022 to take over from Graham Potter.

At the time, many saw De Zerbi’s appointment as a downgrade from Potter, but that was proven to be far from the case, as the Italian has won an impressive 32 games from 68 in charge of Brighton.

He has also earned himself a reputation of being the ‘giant slayer’ thanks to his notorious tendency to always give the so-called big teams a difficult time.

When Brighton frustrated Liverpool

In October 2023, De Zerbi’s elite tactics were there for all to see as his Brighton side frustrated Liverpool at the Annex Stadium.

As reported by BBC, Lewis Dunk scored a dramatic late equalizer in a game which the Seagulls could have easily won.

Brighton initially went ahead through Simon Adingra before a brace from Mohamed Salah turned the game around.

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With the scores at 2-2, Brighton missed the chance to steal a win a Joao Pedro squandered a late chance.

What Klopp said

After the game, Klopp did not hide his admiration for De Zerbi and what the Italian was doing at Brighton.

“I have to say I could not respect more what he is doing,” said Klopp, per Bein Sports.

“I’m a real supporter of it, I’m a football lover and if someone comes in with the impact he has on football, that shouldn’t be underestimated.”

7 best players of Klopp era

Sports Brief also reported on the best XI from the Jurgen Klopp era after the gaffer announced his intentions to leave Liverpool.

The German has managed some big names at Anfield, but seven names stand out, including the African duo of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.