-
Stephan UersfeldGermany correspondent
Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc praised former club coach Jurgen Klopp and said he was the “Muhammad Ali of football.”
Klopp, who spent seven years in Dortmund, led Liverpool to its first title in 30 years on Thursday.
– FC TV: Stream FC Daily on ESPN +
– Inner notebook: Bale, Zidane at the breaking point
“Congratulations Jurgen! You are the greatest! It is not for nothing that I have been calling you the Muhammad Ali of football for many years,” Zorc said in a statement issued on Friday by the German club.
Klopp’s career started at FSV Mainz in 2001, but it was his seven years at Westfalenstadion from 2008 to 2015 that elevated him to the highest level of European managers.
When he took over the club, he had just avoided bankruptcy and was about to head for a mediocre future.
Klopp led Dortmund to consecutive titles, including a national double at the beginning of the past decade and the Champions League final in 2013.
“At least since he won the title, he has been among the best managers in the world,” said Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke.
.
