Jose Mourinho’s Spurs are up against Southampton in an FA Cup replay this week, and the Portuguese boss was asked about his thoughts on Jurgen Klopp not attending Liverpool’s fixture against Shrewsbury.
But “the special one” didn’t have any time for questions about the Reds manager – and gave a very short response to a journalist in the pre-match press conference.
Jurgen Klopp will not be there, has it crossed your mind not to turn up and play a young team? is the question he was asked, and his response was typically Jose.
“Jurgen Klopp is Jurgen Klopp,” he is quoted as saying by football.london. “He does what he wants. He does what his board want him to do or allows him to do. He does what the rules allow him to do or does not allow him to do. He does what he wants.”
It’s an interesting comment from the Spurs manager, but it does actually show a lot of respect for the Liverpool boss as he’s not allowing himself to get swept up by this type of chat.
To be fair, Mourinho isn’t the first man to stand alongside Jurgen on this issue – Pep Guardiola, Sam Ricketts and Aston Villa boss Dean Smith were the latest to defend the Liverpool man.
But there also does seem to be some bitterness behind his comments as well – almost as if clubs in the past have not allowed him to do what he wants in the same way as Klopp at Liverpool.