Tottenham target Marco Rose's strained Klopp relationship, major betrayal and fan backlash
Marco Rose has emerged as the new favourite to take the reins at Tottenham. The 49-year-old German has moved ahead of Roberto De Zerbi, Mauricio Pochettino and John Heitinga in the race for the vacant managerial position after Thomas Frank was dismissed on Wednesday.
Rose, whose coaching CV features spells at RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Monchengladbach, has earned recognition as an energetic, attack-minded manager. His assertive, high-pressing approach has often led to parallels with former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. However, while their footballing principles overlap, Rose and Klopp have not consistently aligned. Indeed, friction between them erupted publicly in dramatic circumstances last year.
Soured relationship with KloppSome observers imagined Klopp and Rose forming an administrative dream team, yet at Leipzig the reality proved very different. Only three months joining as Global Head of Soccer at Red Bull, Klopp sanctioned Rose's exit, abruptly ending the latter's three-year spell with the Bundesliga outfit.
According to German publication Bild, Klopp had initially ranked among Rose's most vocal supporters, having bought him as a player during his tenure at Mainz 05. Nevertheless, their bond is said to have weakened after a poor sequence of performances - just two victories in 11 league fixtures - that pushed Leipzig out of the Champions League qualification positions and left Klopp "unsatisfied" with Leipzig's "sporting development" under Rose.
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Several months afterward, Klopp conceded that dismissing Rose was "a bitter pill to swallow." In an interview with The Athletic, he remarked: "It's not great. It will never be my hobby. But it's things you have to do. What I want is to hire coaches for the right reasons. And if you finish working together, then it is also for the right reasons and not for the media asking for it."
Rose's departure from Leipzig was not the first occasion he had exited a club under strained circumstances. His earlier appointment - a short-lived tenure at Dortmund - spanned just a single season, with Rose and club officials mutually deciding to separate at the end of the 2021/22 term.
Statistically, his return appeared solid. Dortmund accumulated a higher points total than in 2020/21 and jumped from third place to second in the standings. Yet many fans remained unconvinced, irritated by what they saw as inflexibility in his tactical setup.
There was a sense that the side leaned too heavily on prolific forward Erling Haaland. The framework was largely constructed to amplify the Norwegian's qualities, but when he was unavailable - or struggling for rhythm - Dortmund frequently lacked cutting edge in the final third. Supporters criticised the absence of an effective alternative strategy, particularly considering the offensive options at hand in Jude Bellingham, Marco Reus, Thorgan Hazard, Youssoufa Moukoko and Julian Brandt.