Klopp, with Germany, and Xavi, with the Netherlands, face each other in Nations League after disappointing World Cup for both countries
Before the latest instalment of a time-honoured international rivalry gearing up for two distinct new beginnings, Jürgen Klopp could not resist sprinkling a little of the old mischief. “The good thing is that we both have the exact same situation,” he said of Xavi Hernández, his counterpart when Germany visit the Netherlands on Thursday night. “We met on Monday and play on Thursday. And the coach knows the players from television. I actually know more of the Dutch players personally than Xavi does. Whether that’s an advantage, I don’t know, but it’s still a fact.”
In his public appearances Klopp has been on irrepressible form since taking the role in July. The task of whipping Germany back into shape has visibly and audibly topped up the energy levels that had drained by the time he departed Liverpool. Klopp, his wit sharp and appetite piqued, looks a far cry from the character who, to most trained eyes, was going through the motions upon his unveiling as Red Bull’s head of global soccer early last year.
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