Dimitar Berbatov has claimed on BeIN Sport that Tottenham Hotspur’s continual struggles on the pitch are parallel to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s during his time as Borussia Dortmund manager.
The Red’s head coach has enjoyed his fair share of success as Liverpool boss. Delivering the club’s sixth European Cup was the ultimate high for the German head coach.
However, Klopp has suffered some substantial blows along the way to continental glory and former Manchester United striker has seen some comparisons with Mauricio Pochettino following a slow start to the season for Spurs.
After back-to-back Bundesliga titles, Klopp would go on to lead Dortmund to their first Champions League final since 1997 back in 2013, eventually losing out to German rivals Bayern Munich.
This proved to be the pinnacle at the Black and Yellows for Klopp with the club fighting relegation during his final year in charge in 2015 eventually guiding the club to a seventh-place finish.
(Photo by Harold Cunningham – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Inside two seasons, Klopp’s team had gone from the European elite to domestic strugglers. Pochettino has endeared the same fate since losing to Liverpool’s manager in the 2019 Champions League final.
Speaking in regard to his former team, Berbatov believes Spurs need to find a sudden level of ‘consistency’ if the Lilywhites are not to endure the same fate as Klopp’s Dortmund or similar to an identical experience during the Bulgarian’s time with Bayern Leverkusen
“Spurs need to find that consistency, or it is not going to be good for them”, Berbatov said.
“When I reached the CL final with Leverkusen, the next season, we fought against relegation. We played badly.
“Dortmund reached a final {Champions League} with Jurgen Klopp, next they face relegation.
“After a great high, you drop back down and struggle to find the balance again.
“Spurs are going through the same thing”.
It’s natural for any team to struggle with recovering from heartbreak following such a gruelling experience. Liverpool and Klopp will know perfectly well how Spurs will be feeling after falling short in Kiev the previous year.
The best managers in the world are able to lick their wounds and go again. This is not to say that Spurs will replicate Liverpool’s achievements to lift the Champions League the following season, but it highlights how even the best can fail.
Klopp’s decision to console Pochettino as soon as the final whistle went in Madrid typifies how the Red’s manager felt the precise emotions from 12 months before.
The difference in fortunes between the two teams since that remarkable night in June pays dividends to how Klopp has adapted and evolved from previous failings.
The comparison from Berbatov is certainly interesting and showcases why Klopp is such a special coach and one that comes along once in a blue moon.