Jurgen Klopp has praised Bayern Munich superstar Robert Lewandowski following his European Golden Shoe win.
Robert Lewandowski secured yet another individual accolade recently when he was given the European Golden Boot award for scoring the most number of goals in Europe last season. He scored 48 goals in all competitions, notably breaking Gerd Muller’s record of 40 goals in a Bundesliga season by netting 41 times.
The Bayern Munich forward has received a shower of praises among football pundits and coaches all over Europe. Among them, was his former coach Jurgen Klopp, who has admired the forward’s work ethic and expects him to secure the award next season as well. The German tactician further stated that he is looking forward to playing against him in the Champions League this season.
The Liverpool coach evidently has an excellent relationship with Lewandowski, having worked together during their time at Borussia Dortmund. The Polish international scored 102 goals in 186 competitive appearances under Klopp, winning the Bundesliga twice and reaching the UEFA Champions League final in 2013.
Quoted by Mirror, Klopp congratulated Lewandowski after the striker was awarded the Golden Shoe. “Hello Lewy, congratulations on the Golden Boot. When I heard that you had won the Golden Boot, I thought: ‘How? Only now?’ You can see how long it takes to get to the very top. But you’ve been at the top for a long time and you deserve this award,” he said.
“I’m really happy for you. The way you started this season, I wouldn’t be surprised if you win the Golden boot again. As long as we don’t play against each other, you can score as many goals as you want,” he joked.
The German went on to wish Lewandowski the best for the upcoming season and hopes to meet him soon in the UEFA Champions League. “I’ve said it a couple of times now, I’ll say it one last time: I’m proud of you too. All the best and see you hopefully soon in the Champions League final.”
Lewandowski himself had notably praised Klopp earlier this year, in his column for The Players’ Tribune. And his healthy relationship with the former Dortmund coach could certainly prove to be useful for Liverpool soon, especially with the Pole likely to leave Bayern Munich in the summer. He has already been linked with a move to Premier League and it won’t be surprising to see Klopp pouncing on the opportunity.
