Soon-to-leave Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has given his honest take on Roberto De Zerbi as his potential successor as Liverpool manager.
Klopp, 56, will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, bringing to an end his 10-year remarkable stint with the club.
The former Borussia Dortmund manager announced in January he would leave the club and take a break from football management as he has run out of energy.
Liverpool have long begun the hunt for a new manager to replace Klopp. Insiders revealed Klopp had already informed the club’s hierarchy of his decision to leave back in September 2023 before he made his decision public in January 2024.
The club had reportedly begun the hunt for a new manager in 2023 but the search intensified in 2024 after Klopp’s announcement.
Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso was primed to take over from Klopp. Klopp had lauded the Spaniard for an ‘incredible job’ he has done at Bayer Leverkusen and had given a nod to the 42-year-old to replace him at Anfield.
However, Liverpool’s links to Alonso took a wild twist as the former Real Sociedad reserve team manager confirmed he will continue as Bayer Leverkusen boss next season.
A shortlist of other high-profile managers have been linked to the Liverpool role. Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi is in the running to occupy the soon-to-be-vacant role at Anfield, including Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim and Germany national team manager Julian Nagelsmann.
Roberto De Zerbi will have a chance to prove his mettle to take on the high-profile job at Anfield when he takes Brighton to Anfield for a Premier League rollercoaster on Sunday, March 31.
He has been tipped as a top favorite to succeed Klopp following his impressive campaign with the Seagulls since taking over the club last season
Jurgen Klopp drops honest take on Roberto De Zerbi as his potential successor
Speaking ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League clash with the Seagulls, Klopp described Roberto De Zerbi as a ‘top coach’ with an ‘interesting style of play.’
The German added it is always a difficult game when coming against Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton due to his pressing. According to him, when the De Zerbi-led boys ”have the ball, you must be ready to suffer.”
“He (Roberto De Zerbi) is a top coach. He has done an incredible job at Brighton. When they have the ball, you will suffer. He is such a genius,” Klopp said.
Jurgen Klopp’s comment has been seen as a vote of confidence on the manager amidst reports linking him to take over as the new Liverpool manager.
De Zerbi has been on an impressive campaign with Brighton, qualifying the team to their first-ever European campaign on his debut season as manager.
Another landmark feat that has earned the Italian a place among the elite managers in Europe is the transformation of Brighton into a formidable squad combining an effective attacking and possessive style of play.
De Zerbi is said to be a favorite for the Liverpool job and Brighton’s match against Liverpool on Sunday will afford the club’s hierarchy a chance to assess the Italian for the role.
