MAURICIO Pochettino said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was the first person to contact him after his sacking by Tottenham Hotspur.
Chelsea boss Pochettino was axed as Spurs manager in 2019 after just over five years in charge, and six months after leading them to the Champions League final, where they lost 2-0 to Klopp’s Reds.
Klopp, 56, announced on Friday that he would be stepping down at the end of the season after almost nine years in charge at Anfield.
Pochettino was asked about Klopp after the Blues’ 0-0 draw against Aston Villa in the fourth round of the FA Cup at Stamford Bridge on Friday night.
Chelsea travel to Liverpool in the Premier League next week.
“I was shocked because today I was working a little bit before the game and I saw the news,” Pochettino said. “Really sad because already we miss him. And then because when we were sacked from Tottenham, the first message I received was from him. That is not the case, I didn’t send him a message but I’m going to have the opportunity on Wednesday to thank him and show my respect.
“I think the job he was doing at Liverpool is amazing. We are going to miss him but he deserves his wishes, to rest a little bit and go away. Yes, I think sad news for football. He’s a great character, great man, great coach. For sure, English football is going to miss him and Liverpool, of course.
‘When he arrived his first game was against us [Tottenham] at White Hart Lane. October 2015, I think we played, and it was 0-0. The legacy is massive. His charisma, his capacity to manage, to create with an amazing club like Liverpool, their own philosophy and history is there.
“I need to congratulate him, to everyone that is involved, his coaching staff. They fully deserve the prize they are going to receive from here until the end of the season.”
Alfie Gilchrist, 20, made his second start for Chelsea, both in the FA Cup, at right-back. Levi Colwill was a late absentee after picking up a knock but Pochettino was hoping he would train over the weekend.
Pochettino was pleased with Gilchrist.
He said: “Really good. It’s one of the most difficult things to manage the stress because he knew he was not going to play and then he was going to play. Sometimes with the young guys, you give the starting XI and [they] sometimes think too much and the stress can affect [them].
“All the young ones need time to be calm and relaxed and not spend so much energy thinking on the game. He was really good. Good game from him, he is going to grow.
“I think it’s important for his career. He needs to compete with different players in his position. We are giving him the opportunity. It’s important for academy players to have the opportunity to play and show they can cope for playing for Chelsea. We will see if he can reach the level we expect. We are so happy in the way that he is producing.”
