Jurgen Klopp Interview: "Mo Salah Is Among the Greatest of All Time"

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

Hello, and welcome to The Redmen TV. I am down at the Anfield Sports and Community Centre, which was recently taken over by the LSE Foundation, who do incredible work around this area, and indeed around the entirety of the world, actually. We're down here today, because we've just been part of a group of people who had a chat with Jurgen Klopp, who is back on Merseyside. He is back, of course, at Liverpool Legends, taking on Borussia Dortmund Legends tomorrow at a sold-out Anfield. It's gonna be a really, really special occasion. This is the flagship fundraiser for the Liverpool FC Foundation. Well, just in terms of money raised, but in terms of the awareness and the profile of the foundation just spreads far and wide, especially when people like Jurgen Klopp come back and get involved. I mean, the profile of the man just helps raise everything, doesn't it? So, yeah, wonderful, wonderful chance to catch up with Jurgen. And we've just done it over there. And here it is, words from the legend himself.

SPEAKER_2 (0:49)

Jurgen, let's start with a quick question on Sal. I know he's spoken about him a lot, but what are your thoughts on him leaving Liverpool at the end of this season? And where does he rank among the Liverpool greats for you?

Jurgen Klopp (1:01)

He's right up there. I cannot compare with others, really only with the players and players I work together with, so I don't have to and I can't, but in my time and since I'm really following or working for Liverpool, he's definitely up there with the greatest of all time, but that's fine, I don't have to say that because you read the numbers, there must be something special behind that, these numbers, and he is. He's had new standards, producing travel numbers, he was a fantastic ambassador for his country, for the whole region there. He was a great guy, a real competitor, an intense firmware manager as well, and he knows that, and we both had our moments together, but we always found each other again quickly, because we both wanted the same, we wanted the maximum success for our team. So I'm already on the other side if you want, so I can already look back, and I know already how it will feel for all of you, hopefully, that you look back with a massive smile on your face and you're just thinking, Oh my, what a time that was. And it's the best you can say after such a long period. One of the greatest LFCs ever will go this summer. Others did before, really good ones, and life goes on, and that's how it should be. And when we meet, like we do now for a Legends game, and we meet all the other guys from the past, it's like a meeting with the old schoolmates, if you want. And this generation is not part of the Legends team yet. They are still playing. We had them at La Nana, not too wise, but Andrew is still playing, Millie is still playing, so they can't, they are on holiday. Mo is still playing, Sadio is still playing, so one day when we have elections with all of them, that will be good fun as well.

He produced history, and thanks for that.

SPEAKER_2 (3:15)

Tell me about what he's like behind the scenes, because he keeps himself physically so incredibly fit. He rarely misses a game, and that's quite rare for top footballers.

Jurgen Klopp (3:24)

Yeah, OK, that's of course one of the biggest strengths, it's consistency, being available is everything. We have massive Kellens, I saw massive Kellens. That is not only attitude, it's lack as well. We can say whatever we want, there are a few things in your body that give you the opportunity to be nearly perfect, for others it's not perfect, but you have to work incredibly hard, that's what he did. He set standards on a daily basis, he was a role model for a lot of young players, who saw that and thought, that's what I have to do, that's really tough. Great team-mate, great guy, not really a great company when he's not scoring, stuff like that, that's exactly how big players are. Yeah, yeah, oh, yeah. Eighth minute, so five minutes extra time, eight minutes means in most minds probably eight goals possible, and I took them all away. But first it's all good, that's what you need. The desire, the eagerness, even the selfishness, because that's really funny when we criticise him for being too selfish, but celebrate the goal when he outplays five players, and the next time he outplays three and scores the ball against the forward, we say, Ah, that's too selfish, that's not fair either. So I really love being part of his career and his journey, and I know how influential he was.