English Premier League: Mourinho blasts Fifa decision to award Klopp best manager award

Dubai: Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho has criticised Fifa for awarding Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp the Best Coach award and said that Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick deserved to win the gong.

On Thursday, Fifa awarded Klopp as the Best Coach and since then, many have argued that it was Flick was the most deserving candidate for the accolade.

Last season, Flick had managed to win Bundesliga, Champions League, DFB-Pokal with Bayern Munich. The side also won UEFA Super Cup and DFL Super Cup in 2020.

“I think the only chance for Flick to win is that Bayern finds two or three more new competitions to win it. So maybe if he wins seven titles in one season maybe he wins the award, because I believe he only won the Champions League, Bundesliga, Pokal, European Super Cup, German Super Cup — he only won five and the biggest one of all,” Mourinho said ahead of Spurs’ clash with Leicester on Sunday.

“So I think poor Flick the only chance is for Bayern to try and find two or three more trophies to see if he can win it,” he added.

Earlier this week, Mourinho’s side Tottenham suffered a 2-1 defeat against Liverpool in the Premier League 2020-21 season, and Mourinho was seen to be visibly upset with Klopp’s antics on the touchline as he celebrated the winner.

Liverpool took over top spot in the Premier League standings, with Spurs second, three points behind the Reds.

Man United v Leeds United

Meanwhile, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is relishing Manchester United’s first competitive match against Leeds United in nine years on Sunday, recalling “fiery” encounters during his time as a player in the Premier League.

The Norwegian came on as a substitute in the last Premier League meeting between the two sides in February 2004, months before Leeds tumbled out of the English top-flight.

They have met twice in cup competitions since then.

Leeds, then playing in the third tier, pulled off a giant-killing in the 2010 FA Cup, beating their bitter rivals 1-0 in the third round at Old Trafford before United avenged that with a 3-0 win in the League Cup a year later.

Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds have attracted rave reviews for their thrilling style under the Argentine and will travel to Manchester full of confidence after a 5-2 trouncing of Newcastle on Wednesday.

United are also buoyant after coming from behind to beat bottom side Sheffield United 3-2 on Thursday — climbing to sixth in the table.

“I can’t wait,” said Solskjaer. “It’s been too long, of course. I know how much it means for our supporters, I know how much it means for our club.

“It’s a different type of Leeds coming up with a coach that’s really done a great job with them and will test us to the limit.”

Solskjaer said he had enjoyed his regular clashes with Leeds as a player and his two goals in a 4-3 win for Alex Ferguson’s men in 2002 were a particular highlight.

“There were fiery games, tackles flying in, players from both teams who were winners,” he said. “We had a few fights, of course.

“Elland Road wasn’t the quietest place when we came off the coach walking into the stadium and in the stadium, put it that way.”

Bielsa said he was aware of the nature of the rivalry between the two clubs and how much the match meant to the Leeds supporters.

“What happens on the pitch can have a big impact on the fans,” he said. “It increases the responsibility and it multiplies the desire to impose yourself.”

The 65-year-old was asked whether the rivalry compared to the intensity of the Newell’s Old Boys v Rosario Central derby in Argentina.

“I would like to simplify it,” said the Argentine, who played for and managed Newell’s Old Boys.

“If you were to ask a Newell’s fan whether they wanted to be the champions of South America or win this game, they would say they wanted to be the champions of South America.

“But if you ask them the day before the game, they would say they want to win this game and that’s exactly how I feel.”

FIXTURES

Saturday
Crystal Palace v Liverpool, 4.30pm
Southampton v Man City, 7pm
Everton v Arsenal, 9.30pm
Newcastle v Fulham, midnight
Sunday
Brighton v Sheffield United, 4pm
Tottenham v Leicester, 6.15pm
Man United v Leeds, 8.30pm
West Brom v Aston Villa, 11.15pm
Monday
Burnley v Wolverhampton, 9.30pm
Chelsea v West Ham, midnight