What’s the story?
Jurgen Klopp has expressed his gratitude towards Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney for an unexpected vote in the FIFA Coach of the Year poll. The Liverpool manager said, “Thank you, but it was not enough. Ok, I'm pretty sure it is to do with my reaction to him after the little incident,” referring to his support for the England captain after the drinking saga with the national team.
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'I'm pretty sure Wayne Rooney doesn't think a lot about me. Why should he? He is a Manchester United player. Perhaps it is to do a little bit with my time at Dortmund, so I always try to be nice,” he further added.
In case you didn’t know...
Wayne Rooney’s dislike for Liverpool is well-known given he was an Evertonian growing up. Being a Manchester United player for the past decade also leads to an automatic rivalry with Liverpool due to the rich history they share.
However, Klopp had supported Rooney during the late-night drinking saga that unfolded after the England and Manchester United captain was pictured at a party in the team hotel while on duty with the national team last November.
Also Read – Jurgen Klopp defends Wayne Rooney after photograph fiasco
The heart of the matter
The FIFA Ballon d’Or award was split into two separate awards this year and the FIFA awards took place in Zurich in which every international captain was given a vote along with one journalist from the country.
Rooney’s role as England captain entitled him to vote and his first vote for Coach of the Year went to Claudio Ranieri, who led Leicester City to the greatest underdog win in Premier League history. The other two picks of Rooney were Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp and Wales’ Chris Coleman.
The well-documented rivalry of Liverpool with Everton and Manchester United is the reason the news comes as a surprise and probably what led to Klopp mentioning that Rooney was considering the former’s time in charge of Borussia Dortmund.
What’s next?
The Red Devils play Liverpool at Old Trafford in the next Premier League game on Sunday night and matters will return to normal with Rooney and Klopp on opposite sides, performing their roles for their respective teams.
The Reds’ title tilt and United’s top four credentials are at stake along with the accompanying bragging rights.
Sportskeeda’s Take
Rooney’s vote for Klopp is a sign of good sportsmanship from the player considering the Englishman’s dislike for anything related to Liverpool. This highlights the impartial nature of the 31-year-old when it comes to appreciating good work.
It will be interesting to see how both parties react if the upcoming match ends negatively for either of them, given the stakes involved.
