01 March 2023 , 15:29
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Sadio Mane has insisted Jurgen Klopp will be able to turn around Liverpool's struggling fortunes and explained how the club’s players "love" him.
Mane joined Bayern Munich in a £35.1million agreement from the Reds last summer. The experienced forward pulled the curtain down on six trophy-laden seasons at Anfield after making it clear he wanted a new challenge.
The Senegalese star hit 120 goals for Liverpool in 269 appearances and collected six major honours during his time in Klopp’s side, who have struggled to adapt to life without the forward – who proved to be consistently excellent across his Anfield stint.
However, Mane is confident that the Reds and Klopp will be back to their best before too long – and that the two are a strong fit for each other.
"Liverpool will be back," Mane told German outlet Bild. "I'm convinced they will overcome this situation. They had many injuries and tough tests, but Jurgen Klopp is definitely the right man. He will lead Liverpool back up, from this season - the players love him."
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The mutual respect and admiration between Mane and Klopp remain clear, despite the forward ending his stint on Merseyside to join Bayern.
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Reds boss Klopp said of Mane on Sky Germany earlier this season: "A good guy and a top player. But missing it sounds like I still want him here. I think it's really okay that Sadio just wanted to do something different.
"Absolutely. I totally respect that. The way it went was great. We knew that he would do something different without breaking up badly. That must be possible in life.
"That's exactly what happened. Are we missing him? Yes! But I'm happy too. That he's where he wanted to be. We'll solve our problems here. Sadio is an outstanding player. Everyone in Munich saw that too. He's absolutely world-class. Everything will be fine."
Klopp is under a long-term contract at Anfield and Mane’s message for the club to back their manager was recently echoed by former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher.
"Liverpool is a unique football club in how they deal with managers. I don't think there are many clubs around the world like Liverpool," Carragher told Mirror Football last month.
"When Liverpool win the manager is the star it is all about the manager, and I like that about our club because it always gives the manager a sense of power and there is not too much panic from within the club that the manager would go."