Mano a Mano · Néstor Vargas

El Liverpool de Klopp

July 3, 2020·59 min·5 clips

How did Jürgen Klopp break Liverpool's 30-year Premier League drought while Barcelona sells Artur and Messi hits 700 goals?

The episode opens by framing Liverpool's Premier League title as the central story, ending a 30-year wait under Jürgen Klopp. The hosts argue that the sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona, widely seen as a setback, was actually the financial catalyst that allowed Liverpool to sign goalkeeper Alisson from Roma and defender Virgil van Dijk. Both signings are credited as foundational to Liverpool's success, with Van Dijk described as a Ballon d'Or-level defender and Alisson ranked among the world's top three goalkeepers. The hosts then pivot to the Guardiola-Klopp rivalry, arguing it has surpassed the earlier Guardiola-Mourinho feud in sporting significance because both managers play attacking football and the competition is reflected in record-breaking statistics. They note that the City's 100-point Premier League record from 2017-18 is now under threat from Liverpool. Klopp's career arc is traced from promoting Mainz to the Bundesliga for the first time, to winning the league with Dortmund against Bayern's dynasty, to rebuilding Liverpool. The hosts acknowledge that smaller clubs like Dortmund are structurally disadvantaged because they cannot retain talent, with Lewandowski, Götze, Hummels, and Gündogan all eventually leaving. Manchester City's potential two-year European ban for Financial Fair Play violations is discussed, with the hosts noting this could derail Guardiola's Champions League ambitions and even prompt speculation about a return to Barcelona, which Guardiola himself has ruled out. The Artur-Pjanic transfer is examined in detail, with one host revealing it was motivated by Barcelona needing to close a negative financial balance rather than sporting logic, generating approximately 10 million euros in accounting terms. The hosts criticize Barcelona's squad age profile, listing Messi, Suárez, Vidal, Piqué, Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Rakitic as all being over 30, and draw a parallel to AC Milan's decline through failure to plan generational change. Griezmann's poor form and apparent exclusion from the team's attacking dynamics is analyzed, with the hosts suggesting a possible personal dimension related to the squad's preference for Neymar over Griezmann during the transfer window. Setién's management is criticized for lack of authority and poor in-game reading, contrasted with Luis Enrique's character-driven approach that delivered a treble despite tensions with Messi. Messi's 700th official goal is acknowledged as a milestone, with 294 assists in 864 games, but the hosts note the achievement came in a subdued context. The La Liga title race is assessed, with Real Madrid four points clear of Barcelona after beating Getafe, and the hosts suggest the league's lack of a third challenger reflects poorly on its overall competitiveness compared to the Premier League. The tight race for European spots in the Premier League is reviewed, with Chelsea, Manchester United, Leicester, and Wolverhampton separated by three points, and Raúl Jiménez's Wolverhampton highlighted as a potential Champions League qualifier. The hosts close by agreeing that the Premier League is the world's best league for competitiveness.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Mano a Mano