Sports

Liverpool No2 Zeljko Buvac looks finished at Anfield as Arsenal’s role in his falling-out with Jurgen Klopp emerges

Zeljko Buvac is unlikely to return to Liverpool following his huge bust-up with Jurgen Klopp.

It’s understood that manager Klopp was incensed after No2 Buvac — who has worked with him for 17 years — kept an approach from Arsenal secret.

Buvac was contacted by the Gunners’ head of recruitment Sven Mislintat, who was at Borussia Dortmund with both Klopp and Buvac, about replacing Arsene Wenger as head coach.

The Bosnian kept the news secret from his boss, who later found out about it through contacts at the German club.

A row ended in a shock parting of the ways barely 48 hours before Wednesday’s Champions league semi-final second leg away to Roma — at least until the summer.

Klopp and Buvac have worked together since 2001 at Mainz, Dortmund and now Liverpool (Image: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

“Zeljko is spending some time away from the first-team environment, between now and the end of the season, for personal reasons,” declared Liverpool in a statement.

“The club considers the matter to be private and therefore will respect that privacy by not making any further comment. Zeljko remains a Liverpool employee and his position at the club is not affected by this absence.”

Buvac has always been Klopp’s right hand man and is described as the ‘brains’ of the triumvirate – along with second coach Peter Krawietz – who have worked together in a managerial partnership since the manager took charge of Mainz in 2001.

Word of Arsenal contacting Buvac about replacing Wenger only reached Klopp via old club Dortmund(Image: AFP/Getty)

The trio took the tiny German club into the Bundesliga and then the UEFA Cup in their seven years together, before moving to Dortmund where they twice won the Bundesliga and also reached the Champions League final.

When Klopp arrived at Anfield he immediately called for Buvac, and teamed up with his trusted coaching staff again.

But there have been suggestions of a disagreements in recent weeks, with reports claiming Buvac has recently been absent from tactical meetings and is no longer involved in team selection or tactical decisions.

 

 

MegaIcon

Share
Published by
MegaIcon

Recent Posts

Oyo Rep, Oseni Pays APC Secretariat Staff Salaries, Donates N10m to Boost Party Operations

House of Representatives member and Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency…

1 day ago

Rep Oseni Rallies Support for Ikogosi Development Projects, Calls for Resilience, Unity

The Chairman of the House Committee on the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and representative…

4 days ago

Bad Roads: ‘Focus on Message, Not Messenger’ – Nigerians Tell Works Minister, Umahi

The Nigerian Minister of Works, David Umahi, has ignited widespread public reaction following his response…

1 week ago

Oseni Salutes Senator Folarin’s Decades of Service at 61

  Engr. Aderemi Oseni, representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency of Oyo State in the House…

1 week ago

Oseni Donates N10m to Support Ibadan’s Mogaji Ile Eke Project

The Chairman, House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Engr. Aderemi Oseni has made…

2 weeks ago

Lead City Varsity Hosts Conference on Leadership, Personality Development

Dr. Ayobami Owolabi, President of the Institute of Personality Development & Customer Relationship Management (IPDCRM),…

2 weeks ago