Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp made time for an emotional meeting with Sven-Goran Eriksson as Liverpool took on Ajax in a legends friendly match at a sold-out Anfield.
On Friday afternoon ahead of the match, Eriksson revealed he hadn’t yet met with Klopp, but that changed on Saturday, as the Reds’ manager headed to the legends’ team hotel before their charity game vs. Ajax.
A video captured by LFC TV caught the moment the pair embraced, while Eriksson said: “Legend, what a legend.”
It will have been Klopp in awe of the man opposite, though. Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, earlier this year Eriksson announced his illness was terminal and he has less than a year to live.
"What a legend!" pic.twitter.com/DOiXyBzTom
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 23, 2024
With Eriksson saying it was his dream to take charge of Liverpool, Klopp and others immediately invited the Swede to take part in Sunday’s charity match.
As mentioned, Klopp finally met Eriksson face to face as the Reds prepared for the game, but he was also reunited with several familiar faces as he took a photo with the squad on the morning of the match.
Eriksson only managed one of the Liverpool Legends squad during his career. That player was Steven Gerrard, whom he took charge of for five years as England manager.
When Gerrard arrived at the team hotel, he went almost straight to his former boss and had a nice moment with the 76-year-old before proceeding to share a laugh and a joke.
For Eriksson it was a dream occasion and one that has been a long time coming. In his pre-match press conference he told of how he had visited Liverpool in 1979.
He said: “I think that at that time the philosophy lived in Liverpool and all the training sessions; they were playing one touch, two touches, and you never see them do any other things.
“They would just play, some warm up, just play – and the quality of the play was incredible.
“At that time, the coaches told them make it just simple, don’t try to dribble too much. so I learned a lot of course.”
Erikkson’s love of Liverpool came from his father and he revealed that the Legends match is even being shown live on TV in Sweden: “I don’t know (why his father supported Liverpool). He always is a Liverpool fan and still is.”
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