It was a rocky three-year-long marriage, but Liverpool finally parted ways with Brendan Rodgers. Now, the Reds are keen on hiring a high profile manager to lead the club (most notably former Borussia Dortmund man Jurgen Klopp), and the immediate start of the search has seen Liverpool contact Klopp and Carlo Ancelotti.
Former Liverpool favorite John Aldridge would like to see the Italian manager commanding the club.
Will Carlo Ancelotti take over Rafa Benitez's old club?
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"Personally, I would like Ancelotti. His background goes before him," Aldridge said.
Ancelotti has an extensive resume, filled with silverware. The Italian has three Champions League titles, and domestic league titles in Italy, France, and England.
Despite being considered a top candidate to manage Liverpool, the former Real Madrid boss is not leaning towards taking the job at Anfield, according to ESPN FC. Ancelotti is not ruling out the job at Liverpool, but the manager would rather take a job at a club playing in the Champions League, according to the report.
Klopp for Kop: will Liverpool contact Klopp?
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That leaves former Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp as the main candidate for the position.
Sky Sports' German football reporter Sascha Bacinski said that the German is a perfect fit for the job.
"When you see some interviews of Klopp over the past years, he always mentioned Liverpool in a kind way," Bacinski told Sky Sports News HQ. "He's a great fan of Liverpool. He likes the city, he likes the club.”
The last time Liverpool won a major title was back in 2005 when the Reds lifted the Champions League trophy under Rafa Benitez. Ever since, Liverpool fans have had to deal with disappointment after disappointment. With Klopp as their new manager those fans might be able to see a light at the end of that tunnel of hardships.
When Klopp took over Dortmund, the team was also in desperate need of a major title.
After resigning from Mainz in 2008, he took the offer to manage a struggling Dortmund side fresh of a 13-place finish in the 2007-08 Bundesliga. The last major title for Dortmund had been the 2001-02 Bundesliga.
It took him a couple of seasons, but Klopp delivered for Dortmund. The manager led the Der BVB to two consecutive Bundesliga championships, one DPB-Pokal title, three DFL-Supercups, and a second-place finish in the 2012-13 Champions League.
Klopp has the coaching skills to work with a core of young players with potential like Philippe Coutinho, Emre Can, Christian Benteke, Alberto Moreno, Joe Gomez and Divock Origi.
Seven years ago, when Klopp started his long journey with Dortmund, the young players with potential were the likes of Mats Hummels, Neven Subocic, Marcel Schmelzer, and Kevin-Prince Boateng.
The ingredients are there, and if they work well with each other, Liverpool’s trophy room might see more action than it has seen since the ‘80s.
"They've been waiting an age for a league title," former Dortmund midfielder Steffen Freund told Sky Sport Deutschland. "That's the problem at Liverpool. I'm surprised that Brendan Rodgers was let go so soon.
"Klopp said himself that if he went abroad, he'd go to England. To go to Liverpool would suit both parties perfectly."
Liverpoll will officially approach Klopp this week according to The Guardian, and Sky Sports reports that the club has also made contact with Ancelotti’s representatives.
