Jurgen Klopp gave Roberto De Zerbi some motivating advice in the tunnel following Liverpool’s tough 2-1 win over Brighton.
The Reds fell 1-0 down just two minutes into their must-win Premier League clash with the Seagulls on Sunday afternoon, fighting hard to overturn their disadvantage and secure a 2-1 win thanks to goals from Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah. The win puts Liverpool top of the table.
Despite the defeat, enthusiasm surrounding De Zerbi has not waned, with many appreciating the Italian tactician’s work at Brighton. He is looking likely to leave the club in the summer, with interested teams including Bayern Munich and Milan.
What Klopp said to De Zerbi
Speaking to the BBC following the win, Klopp was asked what he said to De Zerbi in the tunnel after the pair were seen smiling and embracing.
“I told De Zerbi to keep turning the football world upside down. I will watch it from some distance. I respect so much what he’s doing.
“It is incredible what he has done, Brighton have lost Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo, they have lots of injuries, but he puts a team like that together. An incredible job.”
Brighton do not want to lose De Zerbi in the summer and have floated a new contract, but the Italian coach has seemingly decided to wait until the end of the season before making a decision. He has a circa €13m release clause in his contract.