Jurgen Klopp has overtaken Arsene Wenger in the Premier League managers’ rankings, as per Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit.
Klopp, who is departing from Liverpool, is widely regarded as one of the finest managers of his era, owing to his successful spells at Borussia Dortmund and Anfield.
Since taking charge of Liverpool in 2015, the German tactician has secured numerous accolades, including the Premier League title, Champions League, FA Cup, two League Cups, and Club World Cup, all while implementing his attractive and high-pressing style of football.
As he approaches the end of his tenure, Klopp still has the opportunity to increase his trophy collection, with Liverpool remaining in contention for the Premier League, FA Cup, and Europa League titles.
When discussing the top Premier League managers in history, names like Sir Alex Ferguson, Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, and Arsène Wenger frequently come up, with Jürgen Klopp often mentioned just below them due to his single league title win.
However, Emmanuel Petit, a key player during Wenger’s tenure at Arsenal, argues that Klopp, despite having only won the title once, has surpassed Wenger in managerial greatness.
“You would have to say Arsene Wenger has been surpassed by Klopp because he has won the Premier League and Champions League as well as both the FA Cup and League Cup so it speaks for itself,’ the former midfielder told OCB Scores.
“Wenger won the Premier League three times and everybody remembers the Invincible year but they failed in their chance to win the Champions League final against Barcelona, that is the only difference between them.
“But in terms of impact and how Wenger competed with Sir Alex Ferguson was incredible. The only comparison I can make is how Klopp has competed against Pep Guardiola.
“We need more rivalries like that because it makes the league the best in the world.”
Klopp’s potential for securing more titles could have been greater if not for the competition from rival Guardiola, whose Manchester City team narrowly edged out Liverpool on two occasions.
During his impressive 22-year tenure in North London, Wenger clinched three titles and a record-breaking seven FA Cups. Among his notable achievements was leading the remarkable Invincibles of 2003/04, one of just two teams in English football history to complete a season undefeated.
Looking ahead, Klopp aims to advance further towards achieving a ‘quadruple’ of trophies this week.
Liverpool face the second leg of their Europa League last-16 clash against Sparta Prague on Thursday, followed by a crucial FA Cup quarter-final encounter against arch-rivals Manchester United on Sunday.
In other Liverpool news, Jurgen Klopp Tells Liverpool to Sign Premier League Star After His Departure