Liverpool have a terrific record of employing iconic and successful managers throughout their history.
As the most decorated club in English football, it stands to reason that the Reds would have had some of the most brilliant minds in management at the helm.
And from the legendary Bill Shankly right the way through to Arne Slot, there have been some absolutely exceptional Liverpool managers.
Two of the best in the club’s more recent history are Rafa Benitez and Jurgen Klopp.
The last two men to lead Liverpool to glory in the Champions League, Benitez and Klopp are revered at Anfield.
But each won in Europe employing very different styles. And having played under Benitez at Liverpool and Klopp at Borussia Dortmund, former full-back Philipp Degen has addressed the differences between the coaches.
Rafa Benitez introduces new Liverpool signing Philipp Degen at a press conference
Photo credit should read PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
Philipp Degen explains Jurgen Klopp and Rafa Benitez styles
Having joined the club in 2008 and played only 13 matches under Benitez, it is fair to say that Degen was not a hit at Liverpool.
In truth, the Swiss did not have much experience of Klopp either. After taking over at Dortmund in May 2008, the German manager sold Degen to the Reds just two months later.
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Nevertheless, that has not stopped Degen from sharing his experiences of the two Champions League-winning managers to World Football Index.
“I think Rafa’s main strength, like you said, is his tactics,” he says. “He is not a big talker; he is more like ‘Let’s get straight into the daily work’. He would focus on tactics, which is different from Jurgen, who is a communicator. Jurgen is a guy with real fire. He has the power to keep getting everybody behind him.”
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“Rafa is a completely different kind of coach. Of course, Rafa was also successful at Liverpool, but when you have a boss, it doesn’t matter if it’s in football or business, if the boss has ‘fire’, the team feeds on that passion. Klopp made things happen; that’s why success came back to Liverpool. He is a perfectionist, and you can see his work everywhere in Liverpool.
“Rafa is, of course, also an excellent coach and a very nice guy,” Degen clarifies. “But he was more analytical and less of a people person. Rafa’s main strength is his ability to read the game.”
What happened to Degen at Liverpool?
As Degen gives his viewpoint on two very different Liverpool legends, it is worth looking back on what went wrong for him at Anfield.
Rafa Benitez Jurgen Klopp
Matches in Charge 350 491
Win Percentage 55.4% 60.9%
Trophies Won Champions League, Super Cup, FA Cup Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup x2, Super Cup, Club World Cup
Signed as 25-year-old who had at times done well with Dortmund, the right-back had been expected to challenge Alvaro Arbeloa for a starting spot.
“In the wide areas people were waiting for something different so we were looking for a full-backs with an an offensive mentality,” Benitez said as he unveiled Degen alongside fellow new signing Andrea Dossena.
“All the foreign players will need time but they are really, really good professionals. It’s one of the things we were looking for, players with a strong mentality. They came here to compete and I think they will be okay.”
Ultimately, neither Degen nor Dossena made much of an impact at all at Liverpool. Degen broke two ribs and punctured his lung on his competitive debut, and never fully recovered.