In taking over Liverpool Football Club, Jurgen Klopp will bring Zeljko Buvac and Peter Krawietz as part of his new backroom staff. Both men were integral to the success Klopp achieved while at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund respectively.
Loyal lieutenant Buvac played with Klopp at Mainz in the early 90s. An attacking midfielder with experience playing Germany, he transitioned to coaching at age 36, after retiring as a player.
When Klopp transitioned from playing to coaching and became manager of Mainz in 2001, he immediately looked to bring in Buvac, six years his senior, who was by then managing a fourth division side in Germany. Together the two formed an impressive partnership, eventually leading Mainz to promotion into the Bundesliga for the first time in the club’s history, as well as earning entry into European competition.
After leaving Mainz in 2007, the two reunited at Borussia Dortmund in 2008. Taking over a struggling, 13th-placed Dortmund, it would take two years before winning two consecutive Bundesliga titles. The league triumph in 2011 was followed up by a league and cup double in 2012.
Then, of course, in 2013 Borussia Dortmund finished second in the league behind Bayern Munich, before falling again to their arch rival in the Champions League final.
Buvac is credited, by the Liverpool Echo, as the co-architect of Dortmund’s high speed, relentless pressing and counter-attacking style. In fact, Klopp refers to his trusted assistant as the “The Brain” and a “football genius”.
So close is their relationship, former Liverpool loan short-timer Nuri Sahin claimed, “Zeljko Buvac is basically Klopp’s twin,” Sahin told the Bundesliga website. “Both of them see football in exactly the same way.”
The 54 year-old Buvac will become the new assistant manager.
Another key to Klopp’s staff and success, Peter Krawietz who will become an assistant coach and video analyst. The fellow German also has a Mainz connection, even working with Klopp when he was still a player.
Krawietz never played professional football but was an early video analyst while at Mainz. Once Klopp became manager, Krawietz became a scout, where he set up his own new scouting system for the club.
Where Buvac is “The Brain,” Klopp calls Krawietz “The Eye”.
When Klopp moved to Dortmund he beckoned Krawietz too. While there, Krawietz advanced the use of video analysis, incorporating footage during half-time to assist players in identifying errors, as well as exploiting weaknesses in the opposition.
Paul Lambert, an ex-Dortmund player, worked on his coaching badges along with Klopp and spent time with the Dortmund staff last season. He recently spoke on talkSPORT, saying: “Peter is a big part of his team and he was at Mainz with him. He knows [Klopp] really well and is someone who he trusts to be very analytical about the game. He’s someone he’ll lean on.”
The Scot concluded: “The three of them (including Krawietz) work really well.”
While there may be more backroom additions, these two trusted allies are locks to join Liverpool.
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