Ahead of Arsenal’s crucial Champions League tie with German giants Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, Jurgen Klopp, coach of Dortmund, has expressed his deep reverence and admiration for his counterpart, Arsene Wenger.
Klopp, who signed a long-term contract recently with the Bundesliga outfit, is one of the most sought after coaches and his personality is as charming as his own team’s style of football.
However, apart from talking about the normal routine tactics and team formation, Klopp showed his genuine admiration for the man, who has been at the helm of Arsenal football club for over 18 long years and has been an inspiration for so many managers across the world.
“I think Arsene Wenger likes having the ball, playing football, passes, like an orchestra,” Klopp said in an interview, taken by Times journalist Oliver Kay, “But it’s a silent song, yeah? I like heavy metal more.”
When asked to compare with the personality of him with Wenger, Klopp suggested that difference in style mirrors those in personality. “I love him. For me, he is Sir Arsene Wenger. He is the guy.”
That is some compliment. And it is no flattery. It comes from the man who has revolutionized Dortmund to a different level altogether. His heroics in transforming Dortmund from a bankrupt threatened club to a European heavy weights is encrypted in modern folklore and therefore these comments are so genuinely felt.
Dortmund and Arsenal are pitted in the Group of Death in the Champions League and the situation is evenly poised after three rounds of action. The Gunners won the opening two matches but suffered a 2-1 defeat at home in their last round. Dortmund bounced back from their opening day defeat at the hands of Napoli and earned two straight victories as well. Likewise, Napoli are also tied on 6 points as well, which makes the contest even more fascinating.
Predict the outcome of the match? Who will progress from this Group of Death?
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