Jurgen Klopp says there are ‘personal reasons’ why he can’t wait to face Union SG tonight

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Jurgen Klopp has admitted that the visit of Union Saint-Gilloise to Anfield will be extra special this evening.

Union SG head to take on Liverpool as massive underdogs in their Europa League group stage match. But with the adrenaline of a perhaps once-in-a-lifetime trip in their veins, maybe they can cause an upset.

Either way, in his matchday programme notes Klopp has shared a reason why the game will take on some extra significance for him.

“I also have my own personal reasons for looking forward to locking horns with Union SG as they are managed by Alexander Blessin, who comes from the same hometown as me,” explained the Liverpool manager.

“I was reminded earlier this week that we once shared a pitch when I was a player with Mainz and Alexander was at Stuttgarter Kickers.

“This was many years ago, of course, but if memory serves me right Alexander came on as a substitute for Stuttgarter and I was taken off shortly after.

“The good thing is that tonight we will be able to share a touchline for much longer. So I hope Alexander, his players and the staff and supporters of Union SG will be able to enjoy the experience of Anfield but hopefully not too much.”

Klopp recalls Blessin encounter

Funnily enough, Alexander Blessin was once tipped to be an even better manager than Klopp.

The man doing the tipping back in March 2022 was none other than legendary coach Fabio Capello, who claimed that Blessin was doing something tactically ‘more than Klopp’ at Genoa.

We’re not sure about that, but Jurgen clearly has a huge amount of respect for the man he once faced as a player.

For Blessin, tonight obviously has the potential to be a dream evening. With the pressure – and the spotlight – all on Liverpool, he has something of a free hit for his team.

Being from Jurgen’s hometown and also being a manager perhaps hasn’t been easy for the 50-year-old. Klopp’s shadow is pretty big and the comparisons must be endless.

But tonight, Blessin has the chance to show that there’s another sheriff in town.

The odds are stacked against him to do that. But either way, it sounds like he and Jurgen have a bit of catching up to do after the game.