Liverpool deny assistant manager quit reports ahead of Roma clash
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ByEurosport
Updated 30/04/2018 at 11:08 GMT
Liverpool have been forced to deny reports that Jurgen Klopp’s number two, Zeljko Buvac, has quit the club just two days ahead of their Champions League semi-final against Roma.
Liverpool's German manager Jurgen Klopp (R) and assistant manager Zeljko Buvac
Image credit: Getty Images
Buvac, 56, and Klopp began their working relationship 17 years ago at Mainz as players, with the Bosnian going on to work as Klopp’s assistant at Mainz 05, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool.
However, reports emerged that their working relationship had become strained, which led to the 56-year-old tendering his resignation.
“Klopp and Buvac had a big falling out,” a Liverpool source told the Daily Record Sport. “And Buvac has been left completely out of the loop of late.
“They stand apart in training, Buvac doesn't go to tactical meetings, and he is no longer involved in picking the team. In the past, he was the only one who had Klopp's ear.
“The relationship had broken down, and the players have been told Buvac is gone.”
However, Liverpool quickly moved to deny those reports early on Monday, saying that while Buvac would be absent for the rest of the season, it was due to personal reasons.
They travel to Rome on Wednesday, with a 5-2 first-leg lead, for their Champions League semi-final second leg.
“Zeljko is spending some time away from the first team environment, between now and the end of the season, for personal reasons,” the Reds said.
“The club considers the matter to be private and therefore will respect that privacy by not making any further comment.
Zeljko remains a Liverpool employee and his position at the club is not effected by this absence.
Well-connected prominent German football journalist Raphael Honigstein added a layer of further confusion to the situation by indicating that Buvac had indeed left his role.
“Couple of thoughts on Buvac. Him and Klopp have had huge rows before but always made up,” wrote Honigstein on social media.
“This might not be the end of the story. Short term effect is negligible but Klopp will want somebody else to bounce ideas off next season if he doesn’t come back.”
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