RB Lepizig boss Marco Rose is looking forward to working with Jurgen Klopp ahead of the visit of the legendary German’s former club Liverpool.
Klopp will become Head of Global Football at Red Bull on January 1, which will see the 57-year-old oversee clubs inside their ownership group, including Leipzig.
The former Reds icon, who left Anfield in May, will not be present at the Red Bull Arena for the Champions League game on Wednesday but his shadow will loom large as the two clubs meet.
And Rose, who spent six years working under Klopp as a player at Mainz, says he has learnt a huge amount from his former coach.
“[When I was a player] he always brought a lot of energy into our team,” Rose said.
“Maybe we would be feeling weak but he came in and gave us the confidence, the power to play the next match and to believe in yourself, to believe that every situation can be turned around.
“As a coach, you can learn a lot from him. We might not always have been of the same opinion, but how he leads a group is unique, his honesty. Then it is especially about defending that I learned from him a lot.
“He is a great personality and a great person. I loved working together with him and I’m happy that we’ll work together again.”
🎙️ Marco Rose on @LFC:
“They are strong at pressing and work hard defensively. They are physical and a strong team without possession, something that they were good at under Jürgen Klopp and now Arne Slot is doing it in his own way. Their game hasn’t changed much, they still… pic.twitter.com/Tw9DfUeEt7
— RB Leipzig English (@RBLeipzig_EN) October 22, 2024
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‘Slot doing things his own way’
Liverpool have made an impressive start to the post-Klopp era, having won 10 of their 11 games in all competitions since the former Feyernoord boss was appointed.
The Anfield club have won plaudits for their more controlled approach under the Dutch coach but Rose believes Klopp’s impact on the Reds is still clear to see in their play.
“I wouldn’t say it has really changed,” he said. “The game is Liverpool is very intense. Still Liverpool are very strong in pressing situations, they defend very well, it is an intense game. They are a very robust team, physically strong on and off the ball.
“It is the same character Liverpool had under Klopp, very dominant like in the old days.
“Slot does it in his own way of course with some different mechanisms but everything is clear. They are uncomfortable to defend against with high quality, a lot of vertical play, and a lot of possession.”
Leipzig under pressure
Leipzig are in desperate need of points in the Champions League after losing the opening two games of their European campaign against Juventus and Atletico Madrid.
The visit of Liverpool represents another difficult assignment and Rose knows his side are under pressure to get a result.
“To lose is never good, we are not relaxed, but we know we could have won more points with maybe a better performance an with more luck,” Rose said when asked about their Champions League campaign so far.
“Now we face Liverpool, another great team. It is our third match with five more coming up, also against strong opponents. Considering our start to this competition, of course there is a little bit of pressure built up.
“[Wednesday] will not be decisive but it will be important to get some points, to relieve some of the pressure, and it would be cool to start that against Liverpool.”
