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'I never liked him' - Outspoken UEFA representative takes aim at Jurgen Klopp

Jurgen Klopp fumes to the officials
(Image credit: Getty Images)

A UEFA delegate has gone on record to make clear his distaste for former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

Ranked at no.2 in FourFourTwo's list of the best Premier League managers ever, Klopp had a transformative effect on the Reds, leading them to end their 30-year wait for a league title as well as taking them to three Champions League finals (with one win).

UEFA delegate Florin Prunea not shy in criticising Jurgen Klopp

Florin Prunea, Sports director of Dinamo Bucharest during the match between Dinamo Bucharest vs FCSB, for the Football Romania, Liga 1, at Arena Nationala, in Bucharest, Romania, on February 16, 2020.

Florin Prunea doesn't like Klopp (Image credit: Alex Nicodim/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Klopp is not universally liked, however, with his demonstrative manner on the touchline and willingness to vent his anger during and after games drawing criticism from some quarters.

Nonetheless, you would not really expect a current UEFA delegate to be willing to vent his distaste for anybody currently working in the game in the kind of open fashion that Florin Prunea has this week.

Jurgen Klopp fumes to the officials

Jurgen Klopp fumes to the officials (Image credit: Getty Images)

According to the Mirror, Prunea said on the IamSport podcast: "He went to Red Bull Salzburg just to hang around and get some money for nothing."

Prunea also took aim at Klopp's histrionics, saying: "I never liked him. All that circus … you’d say he was chewing bricks with his teeth."

The 57-year-old former Romania goalkeeper has always been outspoken: he received a nine-month ban from the Romanian FA for 'comments made about senior officials in the Romanian league'.

Prunea maintained he had actually been banned for having taken part in a protest against clubs not paying player wages, and the ban was quickly overturned.

Jurgen Klopp fumes to the officials

Jurgen Klopp is getting ‘money for nothing’ (Image credit: Getty Images)

Since then Prunea has gone on to have a career in football administration since hanging up his boots, serving variously as sporting director and president of three Romanian clubs including Dinamo Bucharest.

He now works as a UEFA delegate, which involves attending games in UEFA competitions to serve as an official observer and troubleshooter.

Steven Chicken

Steven Chicken has been working as a football writer since 2009, taking in stints with Football365 and the Huddersfield Examiner. Steven still covers Huddersfield Town home and away for his own publication, WeAreTerriers.com. Steven is a two-time nominee for Regional Journalist of the Year at the prestigious British Sports Journalism Awards, making the shortlist in 2020 and 2023.

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