12 August 2023 , 21:30
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Mauricio Pochettino loves Jurgen Klopp.
But, even so, new Chelsea boss Poch would like nothing more than to ruin day one of the German’s Premier League season and to one get the chance to meet him again in a Champions League final to avenge one of the most heartbreaking defeats of his managerial career.
Liverpool ’s 2019 triumph over the Argentinian’s old Tottenham team still lives with Pochettino. And it was a result that sparked the beginning of the end for Poch in North London given that, just six months later, he and Spurs parted way.
Pochettino received plenty of messages upon his departure, but few were more well received than the one Klopp sent him.
As he prepared for his first game in charge of Chelsea, today’s clash with Klopp and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, Pochettino said: “I love him, but I want to beat him — it’s going to be a good game and for sure I am going to enjoy meeting him again.
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“I cannot tell you what he said in the message, but they were very nice words. [In the Champions League final] we competed really well and, for different reasons, they won.
“But I have nothing to say against Liverpool or Jurgen, that is football, and I hope we can arrive again one day and the result will be different. I enjoy his philosophy of football and how he is, his character. I like him, he is a very warm person.
Mauricio Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp will be reunited at Stamford Bridge“His debut was against us at the old White Hart Lane and from then we have had a very good relationship and been good friends in between. Players who played for us at Southampton, like Adam Lallana, created a good link in between us.
“A player who loves us and then loves Jurgen is a good way to create good feelings between coaches and staff. We are both passionate, although he is better than me at showing it and making something of it because of his personality.”
Chelsea fans will today get a first proper glimpse of Nicolas Jackson, who is set to lead the attack after joining from Villarreal for £30million. Pochettino added: “He’s a young player but he has the quality to be here and score goals.
“We are enjoying the way we are working, he is working really hard and the quality is there. We have seen some games in which he has shown his quality.
“LaLiga is completely different to the Premier League but it was good to play the Summer Series in America because the test of playing some Premier League teams was really good for us.
“I have no doubt he is going to score goals and the adaptation is going to be good because it’s not only his quality, it’s his character as well — he has real character and personality, he is a strong boy, and I’m sure he is going to be good here.
“He’s so strong, he is scared of nothing, he’s so brave and you can see the quality in his feet. He also has physicality as well, he’s fast, he’s strong.”