Mauricio Pochettino has given his verdict on Jurgen Klopp – and has warned his Tottenham Hotspur are “so ready” to inflict further Champions League final misery on the Liverpool boss.
One of Pochettino or Klopp is guaranteed to end their wait for silverware as a manager in England when their teams meet in the European showpiece in Madrid on Saturday evening.
While , Pochettino will be in the dugout for the fixture for the first time.
And the Tottenham boss believes his Liverpool counterpart deserves more credit for his record despite losing his last six finals in all competitions.
“For me, Jurgen is a very successful manager,” said Pochettino. “I admire him a lot, he is great, he is always happy and optimistic, he is a very good example, he is spontaneous and is natural. I like him a lot.
“He is (just) a little bit unlucky. Just because you lose the finals – it's the third time he's been here – the most difficult thing is getting here.
“Then as a manager you can't control some things, and you have to trust the universe (goes right) and helps you win the trophy. Sometimes it's with you, sometimes it's against you.
“What happens, he is always going to be one of the best managers. I admire him a lot. We all want to win, we are in football because we want to win and we need to feel that adrenaline.
“But to get the final, the journey is the most difficult thing.”
Tottenham finished 26 points behind Liverpool in the Premier League table and lost both top-flight meetings between the sides this season.
But while acknowledging the Reds' progress under Klopp, Pochettino believes his side have destiny calling.
“We are so ready,” he said. “We are prepared. The moment you get to the final, it's about winning it.
“We trust in ourselves and respect our opponent because Liverpool are a great team, with Manchester City they are the best team in England.
“They were competing head-to-head in the Premier League and have had an unbelievable Champions League.
“A year ago they were in the final, and they deserve full credit. Jurgen Klopp is a fantastic manager, good coaching staff, unbelievable players and a great club like Liverpool with all their history.
“But tomorrow we want to write history. We know what we need to do.”
