Jurgen Klopp has hailed Marcelo Bielsa as an “outstanding” manager who is a “role model” to those in the coaching fraternity.
The Liverpool boss hailed Bielsa for his astonishing level of research, which the Argentine detailed at length in his 66-minute Powerpoint presentation to the media in response to the Leeds United spy storm.
But Klopp also claimed the Elland Road boss should not have instructed club employees to spy on all of United’s opponents this season the day before their matches.
“He is an outstanding coach and role model for so many: when I came I didn’t see 51 games of Derby,” Klopp said at his Friday media conference, as quoted by the Daily Mirror live press conference blog (Friday, 1.33pm).
“I respect him a lot but that’s not how it should be. In the last couple of sessions only a few people should see. That’s how it should be.
“What do you think was the reason for the curtains (around the pitch at Melwood)? We use the curtain when we train the set-pieces and with the players who are available for the weekend. I can understand Bielsa wants to have all the information but we have to accept we don’t get that.”
OPINION
Leeds fans will be lapping up the praise of their manager from the boss of the Premier League leaders. As has been well documented, the Argentine is immensely respected by his peers for his extraordinary attention to detail and willingness to improve his teams on the training ground rather than just through the transfer market (yes, Jose Mourinho, we’re looking at you). Klopp’s opinion counts. The German has won two Bundesliga titles and is on the verge of matching his immense achievements in his homeland in the Premier League. It will be satisfying for Whites that even such a feted manager does not, by his own admission, do his research to the extent of the bucket-sitting tactician hired by Leeds last summer. Bielsa prefers to shy away from attention and the spotlight, but it is quite a PR feat to have emerged from the spygate scandal with, if anything, his reputation enhanced. It’s wonders what honesty, integrity and a dose of brilliance can achieve.