Rivalry will always be a part of football, and so it should be once it’s expressed in a healthy manner, but sometimes even the staunchest of loyalties must be set aside when the situation requires it.
Supporters of every Premier League club except Liverpool will probably be glad to see the back of Jurgen Klopp after he takes charge of the Reds for the final time against Wolves next Sunday, but the 56-year-old will depart England not just with the respect of Kopites.
Premier League India on X shared a video featuring fans of both Manchester clubs, plus Chelsea and Arsenal, voicing their admiration for everything the German has done at Anfield since he took the job in October 2015.
A City supporter spoke of how ‘even the fiercest rivalries must make way for admiration and respect’ when it comes to Klopp, while one United fan said that the LFC manager ‘elevated’ the English top flight to ‘greater heights’ and will be missed after he’s gone from Merseyside.
Forget the blinkered tribal idiots that you often come across on social media – these are true football fans who love their own clubs and acknowledge their rivalry with Liverpool, but also have enough decency and respect to appreciate the presence of a true great.
It’s a measure of the German that he’s elicited such genuine tributes from so many supporters of the Reds’ biggest rivals.
