Legendary coach Otto Rehhagel has sung the praises of Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, saying he is “unique” and capable of taking charge of any team in the world.
The 81-year-old has a wealth of footballing experience behind him, having overseen a German record 832 Bundesliga matches and led Greece to an unlikely triumph at Euro 2004 in Portugal.
Klopp, meanwhile, is carving his own niche in football’s pantheon of greats, having overseen Liverpool’s Champions League final triumph in 2019 after a dramatic comeback win over Barcelona in the semi-final second leg.
And the former Mainz and Borussia Dortmund boss has continued that trend by leading the Anfield club to within touching distance of their first league title of the Premier League era.
Rehhagel is full of admiration for what his compatriot has achieved and says he is now in the position whereby he can take his career in any direction he wants.
“Jurgen's career is unique, just wonderful,” he told Bild. “I was worried that he would not lose a football game!
“Jurgen can inspire his players - and Liverpool has a lot of money. But he has also made the right choices with the players he has signed.
“I can't say where his career will end. He is still young and he will grow. The English championship is now important to him. He can do anything in the future.
“He could be the national coach, coach at Bayern - anything he wants. All doors are open to him.”
Rehhagel says that the secret to being a good coach is knowing how to build a squad and being given the opportunity to put that together.
“I couldn’t score goals from the bench and Klopp can’t either,” he said, “but if you have an absolute say, you can put your team together. Jurgen has the absolute say in Liverpool. He knows how to strengthen his team.”
Liverpool can close to within four wins of the Premier League title when they face West Ham at Anfield on Monday. Victory would re-establish a 22-point advantage over second-placed Manchester City with 11 games remaining.