What Alex Ferguson said before handing prestigious award to Klopp | OneFootball

Sir Alex Ferguson says it is ‘agony’ to hand Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp LMA Manager of the Year award

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has been handed the LMA Manager of the Year award for the 2021/22 season, and he was handed the gong by one of the game’s legends, Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Scotsman was in attendance and just before he announced Liverpool’s Klopp as the winner, he joked, “I’d say this is agony, absolute agony, Jurgen Klopp.” (h/t Soccer AM via Sky Sports on Twitter)

The German manager arrived with a big smile on the stage and urged Sir Alex to get in the frame for the picture. Gareth Southgate, the coach of the England national team, was also present on the podium.

Klopp won the PL Manager of the Season as well despite not winning the league title. But then again, reaching 92 points is no joke. Pep Guardiola may have amassed one more but Manchester City were widely expected to win the title before the start of the season.

Deserved for Klopp

The Reds were a long way away from the title picture in January but Klopp’s men pushed the title race to the last day of the season.

The former Borussia Dortmund manager also bagged the MOTS award in 2019/20, when he guided LFC to their first league title in almost three decades. Being handed the award by Sir Alex would truly have been an honour for Klopp.

Jurgen Klopp with the LMA Manager of the Year award. (Image: Sky Sports)

And despite the rivalry between the two teams, fans, especially those who don Liverpool red, would have enjoyed this light-hearted moment between the two legends.

It is a shame we didn’t get to see both managers go head-to-head in the same era but one can imagine Klopp holding his own against the Man United great. The Red Devils have had a nosedive since SAF’s exit while Klopp has taken Liverpool to new heights in the PL era.

The Reds are in line to win their seventh UEFA Champions League title while United’s last UCL final was in 2011. Their last trophy came under Jose Mourinho in 2017, while Klopp has seen his team lift two domestic cups this season.

Long may it continue!