When Jurgen Klopp first arrived at Liverpool, he was the darling of the English press and even plenty of begrudging rival supporters. His success quickly changed all that, but he still ultimately remained on good terms with most people within the industry — though he has previously named one Tottenham Hotspur star for whom he will never have any fondness.
It has been a testing few years for Spurs on the pitch, and Klopp never really had a fierce rivalry with them as a result. Having said that, Mauricio Pochettino's men were the opponents when Liverpool lifted its sixth Champions League, the sole European triumph under the German.
But as it happens, Klopp's dislike for one Tottenham player does not stem from that fixture. Indeed, the player in question had not yet moved to North London, and he attracted the ire of the Liverpool boss in a Premier League game that did not even feature the Reds.
The match in question came in the 2018-2019 season, the same campaign that ended with Liverpool's triumph over Spurs in Madrid. In just about any other year, Klopp would have done a remarkable double, having also led his side to 97 points in the Premier League.
But that did not prove to be enough, thanks to the relentless form of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City team. A matter of millimeters denied Klopp not only the title, but also the second ever Invincible season.
However, it isn't that infamous John Stones clearance that sticks in the craw for Klopp (or at least, that's not the one he publicly referenced last year). Instead, the former Liverpool boss bears a grudge against James Maddison.
Representing Leicester City in that season, Maddison was on the pitch when Vincent Kompany scored that improbable long-range goal, which maintained Man City's faultless run-in. And Klopp felt the playmaker could have done more out of possession.
James Maddison of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring their first goal with his darts celebration during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park on March 10, 2024 in Birmingham, England.
James Maddison of Tottenham Hotspur. (Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
"The moment when Vincent Kompany touched the ball there, I am really happy I didn't get a stroke in that moment as that's how it must feel," Klopp told The Redmen TV last year. "I remember exactly how I was lying on the sofa watching and thinking 'Maddison block him, close him down'.
"Since then I don't like Maddison," Klopp remarked. "It's just a personal thing, I have no problem with him, but when I see him it's..." While this was no doubt a light-hearted remark, it's notable how clearly the moment sticks in Klopp's mind. There is surely a grain of truth in his dislike for Maddison.
The former Liverpool boss also admitted to being annoyed at Brendan Rodgers, the Leicester manager that day. Klopp felt Maddison should already have been substituted, having shown signs of fatigue.
Yet these were the margins in such an extraordinarily high-quality season. And if Klopp's Champions League triumph against Spurs did not serve as much as a tonic, then perhaps his Premier League title the following season was more of a consolation, with Guardiola's side finally brushed aside on the way to a 99-point tally.