Jurgen Klopp heaped praise on Roy Hodgson after the 76-year-old stepped down from his position at Crystal Palace and insisted supporters calling for him to be sacked had ‘forgot how good a job he did’.
The Liverpool manager is joining Hodgson in departing Premier League football after announcing he would leave Anfield at the end of the season because he didn’t have the ‘energy’ to continue.
Hodgson has been replaced by former Europa League winning manager Oliver Glasner who is immediately tasked with steering the club away from relegation, while Liverpool are continuing to search for Klopp’s successor.
‘I think I said a couple of times I don’t really understand why he is still doing the job! With my situation he’ll probably understand a bit better, but I don’t understand what he is doing!’ said Klopp.
Jurgen Klopp has heaped praise on Roy Hodgson after the 76-year-old left Crystal Palace
Klopp and Hodgson have shared a friendly relationship on the touchline over the years
Hodgson departed Crystal Palace following a difficult run of form amid calls from fans for him to be replaced
‘One of the greatest I ever met, definitely, for that long time in the business [he is a] human full of experience. [He] trend-set in the beginning; he kept his idea. It’s always like this when it’s not going well.
‘That’s the problem in our business then people forget a little bit how good the times were before. I think Crystal Palace could be like that if there were some supporters who were shouting for him to get the sack.
‘They definitely forgot how good a job he did in the few times when he was there,’ added Klopp.
Hodgson’s departure was later confirmed by Palace after he was taken ill during a morning training session last Friday.
Klopp described veteran manager Hodgson as ‘one of the greatest I ever met’ in football
The former Liverpool and England head coach was taken to hospital after a health scare and is currently recovering following the incident.
Commenting on Hodgson’s situation, Klopp added: ‘I hope he is doing well. I hope because that obviously was a shock last week when I heard about that he was taken ill in training.
‘That’s nothing that should happen at all. I hope he is doing well and when he is doing well then I wish him just the very best of times that he can have and stay healthy.
‘That would be the most important but it’s a bit of a shame that I couldn’t say properly goodbye to him because we faced each other quite frequently and like each other a lot. But, yeah, that’s not the biggest problem,’ he said.
