Thomas Tuchel and Jurgen Klopp have been compared with each other for the majority of their managerial careers. Both managers had taken similar paths in managing Bundesliga clubs, Mainz then Borussia Dortmund, one after the other. Now the pair face each other head-to-head at least twice a season in England.
Chelsea and Liverpool will in fact do so for the fourth time this season in the FA Cup final on Saturday. The Blues still have a top-four spot to secure in the Premier League, while Liverpool have a title challenge and Champions League final to focus on, so you can expect an absolutely cracking match at Wembley.
Both managers share the utmost respect for one another. As Chelsea fans, we give Thomas Tuchel the respect he deserves by default, so it's always nice to hear what a rival like Jurgen Klopp himself has to say. In sharing his thoughts about the FA Cup final, Jurgen Klopp highlights just how much he respects Chelsea as a team and the man that they have in charge.
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"It will be great to see Thomas Tuchel again, having met three times already during this campaign", Jurgen Klopp told the FA website in an interview. "All these matches finished in draws by the way, which shows you how competitive it is between our clubs."
The first match between the two German coaches ended in a 1-1 draw which saw Reece James sent off for a handball in the first half. The second ended 2-2 in what was a thrilling first half of football where Mateo Kovacic and Christian Pulisic blew the roof off of Stamford Bridge.
Finally breaking the deadlock between the two after a penalty shoot-out in the Carabao Cup Final, Liverpool took their first win over the Blues since Tuchel's arrival. It's pretty impressive to be able to hold such a well-established team to a series of draws.
"My respect for Thomas was already as high as you could imagine" the Liverpool boss continued. "Then add in what he has had to contend with off the pitch in recent weeks and months and this respect makes even more sense."
Since the sanctioning of Roman Abramovich which led to Chelsea having to operate under a special licence issued by the UK Government to allow them to continue playing, Thomas Tuchel has arguably had the hardest job that a Premier League manager could face.
Many would have buckled under the pressure and could have turned their backs on the club, but he stuck it out and made the best out of a challenging situation. The German has gained the respect of just not his fellow Premier League colleagues but from those of the footballing world globally.
"What a magnificent leader he is for his club. No surprise for those of us who competed against him in Germany. But I think his status as one of the very best coaches and managers in the world is rightly recognised throughout the game," added Klopp.
Of course, I blindly agree with you there Jurgen. Thomas Tuchel is only of the best coaches in world football at the moment, and there's not much evidence to suggest otherwise. Now that Klopp has got one over Tuchel, it's time for Chelsea's boss to return the favour.
