Lewandowski Praises the Two Sides of Jurgen Klopp

Jurgen Klopp has had a hand in the development of many superstars in his time as a manager in both Germany and England. One of those is the former Borussia Dortmund player Robert Lewandowski. In the wake of Klopp’s incredibly successful season, the Poland international surprised no one by naming Klopp his favorite manager to work under.

“I think...Jurgen Klopp [is my favorite] and after that Pep Guardiola. 100 percent,” Lewandowski said on an Instagram Live with ESPN. “[Klopp] has two faces. You can see that he is kind of like a father, but the second part is like a coach, a manager. He can tell you everything — and I’m not speaking about the good things — about the bad things.

“Also for [players], he is a huge motivation. He makes this perfect, because he knows where there is this line where he can [push you] more or a little bit less.

“His performance as a coach is amazing, but not only as a coach but also as a man.”

Klopp’s man management skills are well known at this point (Klopp hugs!), as is his general good humor and the high expectations he has for his players. It’s easy to see why men like Lewandowski or at Liverpool, Roberto Firmino, thrive under his style of management.

It’s so fascinating, as a Liverpool fan, to watch in real time as Klopp works his magic on new recruits and veterans alike, helping to transform players like Trent Alexander-Arnold into superstars. There’s a whole academy of young athletes vying for his attention, so it won’t be long before we see who will become the next success story.