Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson would typically have no patience for a 3am phone call from a Liverpool manager celebrating their first top-flight title in 30 years.
However, that’s exactly what Jurgen Klopp did when he ended Liverpool’s Premier League drought, an achievement Ferguson managed 13 times at Old Trafford.
Graciously, Ferguson was thrilled for the German and publicly commended him for his accomplishment and winning the 2020 LMA Manager of the Year award despite United’s current struggles. “Jurgen, fantastic,” Ferguson said, referencing the infamous late-night call.
“I have spoken about Leeds United, 16 years in the Championship, Liverpool, 30 years since winning that league: incredible. Really thoroughly deserved.
“The performance level of the team, really outstanding. Your personality ran right through the whole club. I think it was a marvellous, marvellous performance. I’ll forgive you for waking me up at half past three in the morning to tell me you’d won the league. Thank you. But anyway, you’ve thoroughly deserved it, well done.”
Klopp later mentioned Ferguson upon receiving the award, demonstrating the mutual respect between the managerial giants despite the rivalry between their clubs.
“I am absolutely thrilled to have this title,” Klopp declared in 2020. “There are many Liverpool legends on this trophy – Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Kenny Dalglish seems to be all over it. Brendan Rodgers is there too.
“But the main name is Sir Alex Ferguson. I know it’s not entirely appropriate as Liverpool manager, but I admire him. He was the first British manager I met and we had breakfast together.
“I’m not sure if he remembers, but for me, it was like meeting the Pope. I never imagined then that I would be holding the Sir Alex Ferguson trophy in my hands.”
Neither legendary manager are now coaching in the Premier League, after Klopp followed Ferguson out of the door by departing Liverpool at the end of last season.
He has taken up a new role at Red Bull as Head of Global Soccer, where he will oversee the group’s network of clubs around the globe including Leipzig and Salzburg.
The German won’t be involved in any of the clubs’ day-to-day operations, but “will provide strategic vision, supporting individual sporting directors in advancing the Red Bull philosophy.”