Jürgen Klopp has sided with Unai Emery’s admirers. The compliment from the Liverpool coach to that of Villarreal is not surprising before the first leg of the Champions League semi-final between the two clubs on April 27, and especially after the qualification of the Spaniards against Bayern Munich thanks to a 1-1 draw in Bavaria on Tuesday, but it hints at the fear that the Basque technician inspires in these knockout matches. “The match was very impressive, commented Klopp. I’ve only seen bits and pieces of it but to beat Juventus and Bayern Munich they deserve to be in the Champions League semi-finals. Unai Emery is the king of cuts, it’s amazing what he does. »
The 50-year-old coach has forged an edifying track record indeed. He won the Europa League three times with Sevilla (2014, 2015, 2016), last season with Villarreal and reached the final during his time at Arsenal (2019). He also has two Coupes de France (2017, 2018) and two Coupes de la Ligue (2017, 2018) acquired with PSG, which he also led to the title of champion of France (2018).
A success of which the German coach of the Reds is wary. “Give me some time to prepare for the semi-final properly, he added, while returning with indulgence to the lackluster performance of his team on Wednesday evening at home in the return match against Benfica (3 -3). The day we qualify for the Champions League semi-final and I won’t be happy, please come and knock me out. »