Jurgen Klopp will be comforted by having his ‘best friend and brother’ David Wagner alongside him for an emotional afternoon at Anfield.
The match programme for Sunday’s FA Cup tie against Norwich makes no mention, due to early publication deadlines, of Klopp’s bombshell announcement on Friday that he’s leaving Liverpool at the end of the season.
But in his programme notes, Klopp does speak warmly of Canaries boss Wagner, the best man at his wedding after they first met as team-mates at Mainz.
‘I know David so well that I regard him as a best friend and a brother,’ said Klopp.
‘Today will be a rare experience for me that I want his team to lose and I am sure David will also want me to suffer the same fate.
Norwich City boss David Wagner (right) was the best man at Jurgen Klopp’s wedding
Jurgen Klopp shocked the football world by revealing he will be stepping down as Liverpool boss at the end of the season
‘Usually the teams we manage are each other’s second favourite. I am sure we will hug beforehand and hopefully afterwards to but in between there will be no sentiment and neither of us would have it any other way.
‘David is an outstanding leader, a manager who is prepared for so many different kinds of challenges and tests.’
This will be the first time The Kop has chance to pay tribute to Klopp since it was learned he’s departing after nine years on Merseyside.
On Saturday, Liverpool skipper became the first Reds player to speak following Klopp’s announcement, admitting to the club’s website that news was hard for the squad.
‘It’s a hard one to take, because the manager means so much for us, to me, to the club, to the whole Premier League I think,’ Van Dijk said.
‘But he made the decision for him and his family. It was always going to be a tough one and it was definitely the case.’
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