My Football Facts ⇒ Articles
Written by Martin Graham | May 15 2022
Germany striker Timo Werner says he has no regrets about choosing Chelsea ahead of Liverpool in 2020.
Werner, 26, has had the opportunity to play under Jürgen Klopp on two separate occasions. First, while he was in the German club Stuttgart, and the second, when he was with the Red Bull Leipzig team.
Klopp wanted to sign the Borussia Dortmund striker when he was coach of the German club, but the deal failed. The next time was in 2020, when Werner became one of the most exciting players in the Bundesliga and was courted by a host of clubs including Liverpool.
The Reds were in pole position to sign the striker only to return to Chelsea instead.
His choice of Chelsea seemed like a wrong move as Werner couldn’t hit the ground or even maintain a good level for long. However, he claims that Chelsea was the right choice for his career and that he does not regret the move.
Werner told London Evening Standard: “The only thing I can say is that they have a German coach. I’ve known him for many years before, because when I was in Stuttgart, he talked about going to Dortmund. Then I didn’t play well, so that was done.
“When I was in Leipzig, I had the possibility of coming to the Premier League. Liverpool was also in my mind and it was a great possibility for me, but in the end I decided with Chelsea and I won the Champions League last year. It was not the worst decision.”
Werner puts Tuchel and Klopp on the same level
Werner also praised Klopp but claimed his current coach – Thomas Tuchel – is on a par with the Liverpool boss.
“He is one of the best coaches in Germany,” he said. “Not to attack our coach, but over the past years he has won the most titles. He has a very nice personality – one that the German people love, because he looks fun.
“The Germans love types like Thomas Muller and Jurgen Klopp – they have empathy. They say what they think, and that’s really important in this business, not to fake something.
“He’s real. He’s a funny guy and also, with his strength on the sidelines, he’s trying to get people with him. That’s what we Germans love.”
As for Tuchel, Werner said: “He’s at a level now, when you say who the best managers are, you now only have Klopp, him and [Pep] Maybe Guardiola. “
