‘Jurgen Klopp hasn’t acted like Sir Alex Ferguson – he is revered Liverpool’
Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen has commended Jurgen Klopp for maintaining his distance from Liverpool since departing the club in the summer of 2024, drawing comparisons with the conduct of ex-Man United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
While the legendary former United manager has remained an ever-present figure at Old Trafford, Owen reckons Klopp’s choice to largely avoid Anfield following his exit has shown respect towards his replacement Arne Slot.
The England icon’s observations follow the legendary German manager addressing the possibility of an Anfield return in October last year, suggesting it was theoretically feasible.
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The sheer presence of a club legend overseeing their successors is undoubtedly a source of tension for many managers in world football.
Owen implied that Sir Alex’s almost permanent presence at Old Trafford, since the iconic Scotsman stepped down from United in 2013, has impacted the succession of managers who’ve tried to follow in his footsteps.
Slot claimed the Premier League crown in his debut campaign on Merseyside, but has endured difficulties this term, with numerous supporters demanding his dismissal.
Nevertheless, Klopp has observed from a distance, only making his return for a legends charity encounter against Borussia Dortmund earlier this month. Owen told The Mirror: “If you look down the East Lancs [road], then, you know, people have had a go at Sir Alex Ferguson for, for 10, 15 years, and basically, Sir Alex says very, very little.
“He rarely does interviews. He’s never, ever, ever been, you know, disparaging or disrespectful to a Manchester United manager. He basically sits in the stand and watches his old team.
“Now, Jurgen Klopp doesn’t do that. He doesn’t come back and sit in the director’s box and look down on the manager. The role that he’s in, at Red Bull, he is thrown in front of journalists an awful lot,” reports the Mirror.
“You know, he is getting asked these questions, and I’m pretty sure that if he didn’t have to do the press, he wouldn’t be out on X, and writing out statements about the state of Liverpool.
“I don’t think he wants to do that. But obviously, it’s probably part of his job to do the press sometimes and people ask him. So, no, I think in the main, Jurgen Klopp has been very respectful towards the Liverpool manager. He was keen to back Slot and he even started the song at Anfield, didn’t he?”
