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Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp Calls Juventus Rumors 'Bulls--t' Ahead of UCL Final
May 28, 2019
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has dubbed rumours linking him with the managerial vacancy at Juventus "bulls--t" as his side prepare to face Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday.
Massimiliano Allegri recently stepped down from the Juventus hot seat, but Klopp told Sky Sport Italia (h/t Goal's Matt Dorman) speculation that he would leave Anfield for Turin has been fabricated:
"Of course it's a league that I like, Italy is a beautiful country, but these rumours about me going to Juventus are bulls--t. There's nothing true about it, I'm not going to leave Liverpool. I know Serie A very well, I follow it and I like it but I am going to stay at Liverpool."
Klopp, 51, recently told reporters this Liverpool team was the best side with whom he had ever reached a major competition final.
Dorman's report mentioned Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri and former Bianconeri boss Antonio Conte—currently a free agent—as two of the other names being associated with the Juve position.
Klopp finished second to Manchester City in the Premier League title race by the narrowest of margins earlier in May. They're looking to make amends against Spurs on Saturday after finishing as runners-up to Real Madrid in last season's Champions League final.
The former Borussia Dortmund coach also took the German club to Europe's pinnacle when he lost to Bayern Munich at Wembley Stadium in 2013.
He spoke to reporters on Tuesday and was hopeful of getting another attempt at winning European club football's greatest prize, via Reuters:
One may be tempted to see the position at Juventus—winners of the last eight Scudetti—as preferable to Klopp's silverware plight on Merseyside, but there's no doubt the improvements he's making year by year.
Klopp came across as competitive and eager to keep up his rivalry with City manager Pep Guardiola when recently asked for his take on which competition holds greater prestige, per journalist James Pearce:
James Pearce @JamesPearceEchoKlopp : "Pep has to say that (winning PL is more important than CL) as he hasn't been in CL final for a while! He is a great manager and deserves all the praise he gets. We tried to win the PL this season. City were a better team. But there's another competition we're in."
The prospect of managing Juventus is a tempting one. Last summer's £100 million acquisition of Cristiano Ronaldo showed the spending power they can put together, and their domestic dominance offers a sturdy platform to front some European aspirations.
Klopp won't be the one taking over the reins at the Allianz Stadium, however, as Liverpool's chief puts the rumours to bed building up to one of the biggest match of his managerial career to date.