Wim Kieft is not very impressed by the rebuttal that Jürgen Klopp gave him remarkably enough on his column in The Telegraph† Kieft was disturbed by an interview by Pepijn Lijnders, Klopp’s assistant coach at Liverpool, who would like to take too much credit for the success in England. “Not only Klopp reads it, but apparently also Diego Simeone, Josep Guardiola and Arrigo Sacchi,” Kieft says with a wink about his column.
Lijnders recently spoke extensively about his collaboration with Klopp and, according to Kieft, was very eager to claim the success. “For those who didn’t know yet: Pepijn Lijnders, together with Jürgen Klopp, are the founders of the success of Liverpool. At least, according to Lijnders himself,” Kieft wrote in response to Lijnders’ media appearance prior to the Champions League match against Internazionale. “He caused crooked toes by constantly talking about ‘Jürgen and I’. He only talked about the great cooperation, the openness of their relationship and the trust that had developed from that. An ostentatious attempt to take credit for itself or at least take some of the credit for Liverpool’s achievements.”
Those words went so far as to make Klopp exceptionally start a conversation with Football International† “When I read that, I thought, What is he talking about? I really didn’t think it was okay. Normally I don’t care what is written about us, but I wanted to talk about this one anyway so we can explain it. In that column it was written that it was not us, but Klopp. It was very complimentary to me, as if it was all my success. But no, it isn’t. Then you don’t understand how we work.”
Kieft serves Klopp in the studio of Veronica of reply. “I like that he follows me, that Klopp, that every Saturday the printed column is just on his desk,” said the former striker, who does not recover his opinion. “Lijnders, that’s a creep. Yes, I really think that’s a self-righteous man. Peppijn Lijnders also wants to benefit a bit. Do you know what the big difference is: Jürgen Klopp has the responsibility, and he is held accountable if things go wrong? It’s really nice that you think you’re doing it all together, but Klopp thinks it all up.”