Rose excited to reunite with Klopp at RB Leipzig: 'He is a great person'

LEIPZIG - RB Leipzig head coach Marco Rose is excited about reuniting with his former manager Jurgen Klopp.

Klopp will begin a role as head of Red Bull's global soccer operations in January. His former club, Liverpool, are in Saxony to face RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday, but he's not expected to attend the match.

The conversation ahead of the game has largely focused on Klopp's upcoming job at Red Bull. Rose, who spent six seasons playing for Klopp at Mainz earlier in his career, provided a glowing review of his experiences alongside the former tactician during Tuesday's press conference.

"He always brought energy to our team (for us as players)," Rose said. "We had situations at Mainz when we felt helpless, but Kloppo gave us the feeling that we wanted to play again the next day."

He added: "We didn't always (have) the same opinion. But I learned a lot from him, and he is a great person, and I am very much looking forward to working together with him."

Klopp spent 18 years with Mainz as a player and manager, but some fans have criticized his decision to accept a job overseeing the football wing of energy drink giant Red Bull's sporting ventures.

"Have you forgotten everything we gave you?" asked one banner unveiled by Mainz fans during the club's 2-0 Bundesliga defeat to Leipzig this past weekend.

Mainz earned promotion to the Bundesliga in 2004 with Klopp at the helm. He subsequently won two Bundesliga titles and the DFB-Pokal over a seven-year spell with Borussia Dortmund before clinching a Champions League title, Premier League crown, FA Cup, two League Cups, and the Club World Cup with Liverpool.