Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp returned to one of his former stomping grounds on Saturday, and while there, he got a close look at one of his Anfield loanees.
Jürgen Klopp will go down as one of the greatest managers in the history of Liverpool Football Club, but he’s also an iconic figure at his former clubs in Germany.
Klopp led Borussia Dortmund to two Bundesliga titles during his stint at Signal Iduna Park, as well as a DFB-Pokal crown and a Champions League final.
Previously, he’d taken Mainz to the Bundesliga for the first time in the club’s history in 2004, and it has only been outside the top flight for two years since.
Klopp shares a unique relationship with Mainz because he also spent time there as a player, scoring 56 goals across his 340 appearances for the club.
On Saturday, the Reds boss was in attendance as the club bid farewell to the iconic south stand at its old stadium, the Bruchwegstadion.
To mark the occasion, Mainz took on third-tier outfit Duisburg in a friendly and ran out 2-0 winners. While there were no points on offer, it was a welcome return to winning ways for a side that has started the Bundesliga season with one draw and two heavy defeats in its first three games.
One of the players who featured for Mainz was center-back Sepp van den Berg, the Liverpool loanee, who played 84 minutes before he was substituted. Normally preoccupied with the Reds’ own schedule, Klopp had the rare chance to take a close look at one of his players in a different environment during the international break.
Liverpool.com says: Van den Berg is clearly facing some difficult circumstances at Mainz, with Bo Svensson’s side beginning the campaign like a team that will face a relegation dogfight.
However, as Liverpool.com writer Ben Bocsak points out, he’s still put up some impressive numbers in his three appearances (two starts) so far.
He’s made his presence felt aerially by winning 15 headed battles already, and done well when the ball is on the ground too, successfully completing four of the six tackles he’s attempted. He’s in for a very busy year by the looks of it — his tally of 23 duels won attests to that — but that gives him a chance to distinguish himself.
Van den Berg missed 22 games last season through serious injury, effectively wrecking his loan spell at Schalke, but he has a chance to make amends here.
If he can consistently shine at the top level, then who’s to say the 2019 addition won’t get a chance to impress Klopp in pre-season next year, especially with Liverpool looking light on numbers in the center of defense
