BERLIN: German football legend Franz Beckenbauer said Monday that he wants to see Liverpool coach Juergen Klopp in the Bayern Munich dugout.
As Germany celebrated Klopp’s success in last Saturday’s Champions League final, Beckenbauer told Bild newspaper that he was desperate to see the former Dortmund coach join Bundesliga champions Bayern.
“I want nothing more than to see Klopp come to Bayern one day, it would be a good fit,” said the 73-year-old, who won five German titles with Bayern as a player and a coach.
Klopp’s first Champions League title was met with widespread celebration in the German sports media.
On Monday, Kicker magazine carried the headline “King Klopp” on its front page, and described the Liverpool manager as “the face of German football.”
Beckenbauer echoed those sentiments in an interview with Bild, calling Klopp “one of the best coaches in the world.”
“Juergen brought a new type of football to Germany... what he began in Dortmund, he has refined in Liverpool.”
Liverpool are reportedly looking to extend Klopp’s contract, which currently runs until 2022.
Yet Beckenbauer questioned whether 51-year-old would stay on Merseyside in the long term.
“I think that a job in England robs you of energy. As a manager in the Premier League, you have more responsibility than as a coach in the Bundesliga,” he told Bild.
“With the two cup competitions and the slightly larger league, the amount of games is considerably higher than it is in Germany.”--AFP