“I would never sign an asshole just because he’s great at football.”
Jurgen Klopp only wants players who are up for a fight and prepared to buy into the collective effort of the group. The Liverpool manager stressed in a recent interview with the Red Bulletin that he’s not necessarily interested in the best, most talented player, but the player who is best for the team.
As John Giles would say, honesty of effort is your starting point, and that’s certainly the case for Klopp.
“Anyone can have a good day, but you have to be able to perform on a bad day” the 48 year old said.
“That’s what you live for as a sportsman. You have to put up a fight.”
“If you are full of motivation as a player, if you are full of concentration… I am open arms,” Klopp continued.
“If you are not, of course [I am hard], but only because to work with players who don’t understand the professional part of this life is a waste of time.”
“I would never sign an asshole just because he’s great at football.”
“It’s not a case of finding the best 11 players, but rather the 11 that are most likely to win.”
The qualities Klopp looks for appear to mirror those he possessed as a player. According to the former Borussia Dortmund manager, he was a “fighting machine with a will of iron.”
We doubt Mario Balotelli will be returning to Anfield in the near future..
WATCH: Liverpool BOTTLED the title race 🤬 | Who will win the Premier League?
