The two men met at the end of 2020. Priske then led Danish Midtjylland, Klopp, of course, Liverpool. In England, the favorite won 2:0 with a German at the helm, and the duel ended in a 1:1 draw on the opponent’s ground.
You have already met coach Prisk. Do you remember him?
Yes I remember. I think we even had a fight in one of those two games. It was pretty rough.
So you don’t have the best experiences with Prisk…
On the other hand, I understand, he was no friend. There was a lot at stake, emotions also played a role. It was similar in Sparta’s match with Galatasaray. Coaches aren’t meant to be friends.
Jürgen Klopp expects Liverpool to be involved in an ‘intense’ #UEL last-16 tie versus Sparta Prague due to the two teams’ impressive form and comparable styles:
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 6, 2024
Thanks to the previous matches, do you know what to expect from Sparta’s coach?
No, you can’t judge after two games. Anyway, I know he’s doing a great job here, after all, he won the club’s first league title in nine years. Thanks to him, the team is ambitious, self-confident and excellently organized.
You must have watched the Sparta game diligently on video. How will she mature?
I saw both matches against Slavia. She got past her in the cup and kept her lead in the league, which is great. I see self-confidence and great intensity in Sparta. She is very good, but she has not played against us yet. (smile) We know we need to put on a top performance. If we succeed, no opponent will have an easy time.
You have a tough schedule, with Manchester City at the top of the league at the weekend. But you certainly also attach great importance to the round of 16 of the Europa League…
That’s right, we always focus on the next match. If we had coughed up the Europa League, we would not have reached this stage. Maybe it would be smarter to save energy and still advance, but I’m a bit stupid so I don’t know how I could do that.
Have you been in contact with Patrik Berger and Vladimír Šmicer? Both former Liverpool players know the Czech environment very well.
They are legends. I don’t see them much, because they are in town for the legends matches, mostly during national team breaks, and I’m usually on vacation. But I have to admit that Liverpool are exceptional in this, they don’t forget people like that. It would certainly be much more interesting if they told you something. (smile). I also know that Sparta’s sports director Tomáš Rosický is a Dortmund legend. But we’re here for the match, not to chat with friends.
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2024-03-06 20:40:32
#Klopp #remembers #Priske #fight #Sparta #Selfconfidence #tremendous #intensity
