Jurgen Klopp has sent a touching message to former player who took his old job

Once a player under Jurgen Klopp at Dortmund, ex-Liverpool midfielder Nuri Sahin has officially begun work as their new manager – with Klopp’s backing.

Klopp is enjoying his life out of work this summer, having most recently been spotted watching the tennis finals in Mallorca, Spain, where he currently resides.

But he still finds himself involved in football – at least indirectly, as he stays in contact with many of his former players from Liverpool, Dortmund and Mainz.

One of those is midfielder Sahin, who took in a brief spell on loan at Liverpool but most prominently featured under Klopp as Dortmund.

The 35-year-old is now manager at Dortmund, appointed in the role Klopp once held earlier this summer and officially beginning his duties on Monday.

And in a heartfelt post on Instagram, Klopp reflected on Sahin’s new job, writing: “Exactly 16 years ago was my first day at Dortmund and today you take the helm.

“Wishing you much success my friend, it will be great.”

Sahin, who also played for Feyenoord, Real Madrid, Werder Bremen and Antalyaspor, retired in 2021 to become head coach of the Turkish side, before joining Dortmund as assistant to Edin Terzic last year.

With Terzic stepping down at the end of the season, the Turk was chosen as his successor, with another of Klopp’s old players, Lukasz Piszczek, brought in as his No. 2.

In an interview with Bild soon after Sahin’s appointment, Klopp admitted he saw something of himself in the new Dortmund boss.

“At 35, Nuri is a very young coach, but so was I,” Klopp said, having begun his own career as a manager with Mainz at just 33.

“I definitely believe that after his outstanding career as a player, he will also become a super coach.

“Of course, I wish him the greatest success at BVB.”

Dortmund will begin pre-season under Sahin on July 10, and the campaign proper starts against Phonix Lubeck in the DFB-Pokal on August 17.

While Klopp plans to savour his time away from the sport after almost 10 years at Liverpool, there is no doubt he will make the trip to watch Sahin’s Dortmund soon enough.