Jurgen Klopp offered an update on John Achterberg after Liverpool appointed Claudio Taffarel this week. The resident goalkeeper coach seemed to be in a tough position.
Liverpool signed Claudio Taffarel as a goalkeeper coach this week. It’s a headline-making move, given the Brazilian’s reputation in the game.
Taffarel was Brazil’s no.1 through the 1990s, winning the World Cup in 1994 and making another final in 1998. He’s also the current goalkeeper coach for their national team, working with Alisson Becker and Manchester City’s Ederson.
In fact, Taffarel and Alisson have a similar history. The two of them are products of Internacional, working up their ranks before moving to Europe and soaring to great heights.
It’s fairly understandable, then, that Liverpool would want to add Taffarel to their coaching staff. But that does throw up another question – what about John Achterberg?
Achterberg current heads the goalkeeping setup at Kirkby but Taffarel’s addition appears to step on his toes. Jurgen Klopp assures this isn’t the case, however.
Jurgen Klopp on John Achterberg
“John Achterberg renewed his contract, by the way, until 2024,” said Klopp, per Liverpoolfc.com. “Because people very often make the wrong conclusions because of some things.
“John is the head of the goalie department and Taffa is a wonderful add-on to that.”
That appears to be that, then. This is very much an addition, not an overwhelming change to how things currently operate.
Klopp spoke more on that this week, in fact. He discussed wanting to set things up for Liverpool after he leaves the club.
It actually makes the new contract for Achterberg a little more interesting, given Klopp’s also ends in 2024. Liverpool appear to be lining things up together for potential change in a few years.
For now, though, Liverpool are simply building on what they have.
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