One interesting arrangement is that Klopp and Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovač (54) have scheduled a phone call for Thursday afternoon. The Croatian coach unexpectedly revealed this at the pre-match press conference: "We'll probably talk on the phone at around 3 p.m., I can say that much. I hope Jürgen won't be angry with me for revealing it early."

What will they discuss during the call? Kovač explained: "Obviously, we will cooperate. Because Jürgen certainly also needs to rely on us, on Bundesliga clubs, and on Bundesliga coaches. He will get the information he needs and ultimately make decisions based on it. Of course, the decision is still his to make, but it will be in cooperation with us."

Currently, the Borussia Dortmund players attracting attention from the German national team include central midfielder Felix Nmecha (25), center-back Waldemar Anton (30), and forward Maximilian Beier (23). Captain Nico Schlotterbeck (26) is still sidelined after suffering a ligament tear at the World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

Kovač and Klopp's relationship: As players, they faced each other representing Hertha Berlin and Mainz 05, respectively. Kovač laughed, saying: "At that time in the 2. Bundesliga, we played against each other a few times in Mainz and Berlin. But I don't know who had the better record. I think neither of us was particularly successful."

As coaches, they met in the 2019 Champions League match between Bayern and Liverpool in Madagascar, which ended in a 0-0 draw. There was an awkward moment when they didn't shake hands, with Klopp saying at the time, "I stood there, completely bewildered." It later turned out to be just a misunderstanding. Kovač now says: "We played against each other in that Bayern-Liverpool match, and Liverpool later won the Champions League. Well, everyone knows the result. Beyond that, I believe we will definitely have very good cooperation. Jürgen coached Borussia Dortmund before, he knows this club inside out, and he knows exactly how everything works here. We will support him to the best of our ability."

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