UEFA Champions League 2017/18: Liverpool suffer big blow as Klopp loses vital man

Behind every successful manager lies a highly-loyal and trustworthy right-hand. Brian Clough had Peter Taylor, Sir Alex Ferguson had Rene Meulensteen and Jose Mourinho has Rui Faria.

Jurgen Klopp, too, had an assistant in the form of Zeljko Buvac but the Bosnian-Serb has now left the club just prior to their second-leg clash against Roma. According to Daily Record, the Klopp and Buvac had a major falling out that led to the latter leaving the Merseyside outfit.

“Klopp and Buvac had a big falling out,” said a source close to the publication.

'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.'

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The duo had been working together for 17 years, beginning from their time in Mainz and Borussia Dortmund. The pair masterminded Mainz’s promotion to the Bundesliga after joining the club in 2001.

The players were apparently shocked by the news of the assistant manager departing from the club in such an unceremonious fashion. A replacement also isn’t clear at this point of time.

With just days to go before Liverpool take on the Giallorossi at Rome, this is a terrible news for the Reds. While assistant managers don’t really come to the limelight, they play a pivotal role in the club’s success, which is why Brian Clough could never really repeat his Forest heroics after parting ways with Peter Taylor.

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