Ballon d’Or winner Mathias Sammer says Jurgen Klopp is the ‘measure for all coaches’ ahead of Real Madrid showdown

The 1996 Ballon d’Or winner Mathias Sammer believes Jurgen Klopp is ‘measure for all things as a coach’ and the best in the world at what he does.

He said: “Jurgen Klopp is currently the measure of all things, no question – how he lets football play in Liverpool, the flexibility and mentality, the unpredictability, even in difficult phases to always be able to score goals and come back.

“You cannot overestimate what Jurgen Klopp is doing for Liverpool and as a German coach for the image of German football. That can make us all proud.

“Jurgen Klopp can always reinvent himself with Liverpool, he is constantly looking for new building blocks, also in his coaching and supervisory staff, in order to further improve the quality. The fact that a strong leader like Jurgen Klopp gathers top specialists around him for the perfect result cannot be credited to him highly enough.”

Klopp will come head-to-head with Ancelotti in the Champions League final on May 28, and Sammer was also effusive in his praise for the Italian who became the first coach to win a title in all of Europe’s top five divisions.

“Carlo Ancelotti is in my eyes – may he forgive me – an old, wise father coach. Of course, at first glance, Real doesn’t always stand for innovation, for the extraordinary. On the second I think so: Real has always come back.

“Was it spirit and experience alone, or did it have to do with Ancelotti’s tactics as well? They turn games not only with the will, but also with the tactics, take a big risk in a good organisation and play all or nothing.

“They attack high and press man to man, which is actually what the opponent did to them before. They switch quickly, whether in the front line or a little further back, to regain the ball quickly.

“You shouldn’t underestimate the old fox Ancelotti, he knows what he has to do tactically to get Real back into the game.”

The attacking flair from both teams promises to create a fantastic spectacle in Paris, and the German cannot separate the Reds from Los Blancos when it came to predicting the winners on the night.

“I don’t want to talk about defence, but about the quality of possession going forward: Benzema is in the form of his life. It’s amazing that Vinicius has developed very well throughout the season because Real have made a change with younger players,” he said.

“This can also be seen in Rodrygo or (Eduardo) Camavinga and (Federico) Valverde. Liverpool display brutal flexibility and power up front with (Sadio) Mané, (Diogo) Jota, Luis Díaz and (Mohamed) Salah coming down the halfway, coming down the side and finally Mané emerging as a centre-forward.

“Liverpool may be favourites on paper, but Real’s spirit is not to be underestimated. Therefore: 50:50.”