Jurgen Klopp has been an inspiration to plenty across his coaching career to date. Whether it be mastering the art of gegenpressing, scouring the transfer market or delivering fist pumps to an adoring fan base, the German tactician is a managerial role model of the highest order.
With considerable success having been enjoyed at Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, Klopp’s is a model that is well worth replicating. Among those that have looked to him for guidance, few can claim to be as close to the man himself as David Wagner. The pair’s friendship was formed over 25 years ago, during their days together at Mainz, and has seen them cross paths on a regular basis.
Bounce
Get in, boss ❤️ pic.twitter.com/InQFW8T84g
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 13, 2023
Wagner is currently in the process of trying to put another reunion in place. He returned to management at Norwich City in January and has them clinging to favour within the thoughts of those considering a football bet on the English second tier.
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Championship betting has the Canaries priced at 20/1 for a top-six finish and 50/1 for promotion this term, with the Norfolk-based outfit eager to see their yo-yo existence bounce them back into the big time for a fifth time in the space of 12 years.
Wagner is well versed in the demands of play-off competition, having guided Huddersfield Town to the Premier League down the most scenic of routes back in 2017. He guided the Terriers to top-flight survival, locking horns with Klopp along the way.
Pleasantries are put to one side in the heat of competitive action, but both men are eager to rub shoulders at the very highest level once more. Klopp has kept a close eye on how his protege has been faring down the years, saying (via bundelsiga.com): “I know David better than anyone else, I know how he works and how ambitious he is.”
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Norwich may fall short in the current campaign, with Wagner having been drafted in to steady their ship before realigning it on the right course. There is no escaping the fact that a return to the Premier League promised land remains the ultimate end goal.
Getting there will not be easy, but Wagner knows that he can always lean on Klopp for guidance and pick his brains for advice. For now, with there no direct rivalry between them at club level, assistance can be requested and offered.
Companion
Welcome to Norwich City, David Wagner 🤝#NCFC pic.twitter.com/mi1FRrtYkL
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) January 8, 2023
Klopp would like nothing more than to see his former team-mate and coaching companion join him in the top tier of English football for a second time, with his nudges in the right direction having shaped Wagner’s career path.
Emulating the efforts of a Champions League and Premier League title winner may be a little ambitious, with Wagner conceding as much in his assessment of one of the best in the business. He has said (via pinkun.com): “It’s difficult with role models. Klopp’s success is exemplary, but very few achieve it.”
He is not wrong, with the bar of coaching brilliance being set higher than most can ever dream of reaching, but footsteps are there to be followed in regardless of how big said shoes may be.