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The former Brentford and Wigan boss believes Borussia Dortmund's outgoing manager has the ability to coach any side in Europe
Jurgen Klopp will be a success in the Premier League or any of Europe's major leagues, according to former Wigan Athletic and Brentford manager Uwe Rosler.
Klopp is set to leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season following a seven-year spell in charge in which he has led the club to two Bundesliga titles and the 2013 Champions League final, as well as DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup glory.
The German has been strongly linked with a move to the Premier League, with Liverpool rumoured to be interested in his services after a disappointing campaign under Brendan Rodgers.
And Klopp's compatriot Rosler believes the 47-year-old will be a success wherever he ends up.
"I'm a fan of Jurgen Klopp - I met him in January in La Manga at their [Dortmund's] mid-season training camp and it's very interesting the way he is training, the way he conducts himself, the way he manages his players," Rosler told Perform at the Sporting Directors' Summit at the Etihad Stadium.
"He's a very emotional man and he never tries to hide his emotions and I think his positivity goes out to his players and they've been very successful.
"Obviously he's been at the club for many years and there comes a point where he probably felt that the club needs a new approach.
"He's a fantastic manager and has done fantastic things at Borussia Dortmund - the club were not at the top of the Bundesliga [when he took over] and he won titles and got to the Champions League final. He will always be a legend in Dortmund."
When asked if Klopp had given any indication that he might opt to leave in January, Rosler replied: "No, definitely not. Obviously they are in a different situation this season to previous years, but he had that optimism that he always has that he could turn it around and that's what he did in the second half of the season.
"So when I found out he would leave it was a big surprise for me.
"He's very successful and he'll be on top of the pyramid in football. You don't come there by coincidence - I think there's a lot of hard work behind that, there's a lot fo great ideas behind that, and I think a manager like him - he can coach everywhere."
Klopp: Dortmund suffered from fatigue at Hoffenheim
2 May 2015
Outgoing Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp insisted that fatigue from their midweek DFB-Pokal exertions contributed to his side's performance in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Hoffenheim.
Klopp's men required extra-time and penalties to dispose of Bayern Munich in Tuesday's dramatic semi-final and made a sluggish start against Hoffenheim at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena, falling behind to a 33rd-minute goal from Kevin Volland.
Dortmund equalised within two minutes, however, when Mats Hummels nodded home a Henrikh Mkhitaryan corner and the point they earned keeps them very much in the hunt for a UEFA Europa League place.
"For us the game was incredibly intense, of course, due to the 120 minutes we had to play on Tuesday," said Klopp.
"We did okay, to be honest. Hoffenheim played a lot of long balls, which tested us. We had to run a lot which added to the fatigue factor.
"We conceded the goal because we were not 100 per cent awake, though it was good play from Volland. Then we scored the equaliser.
"The game really could have tipped either way; it's one of those games that never ends up a draw, but it has done. I can accept that, it's not a big problem."
The result means that both Dortmund and Hoffenheim are still vying with Schalke, Werder Bremen and Augsburg for the Bundesliga's two Europa League places and Klopp is expecting the five-way battle to go right down to the wire.
"Ideally, in the final three games we'd like to leapfrog Hoffenheim," he said.
"However, as we saw [on Saturday], that's not as simple as just saying it out loud."
´I´ve always wanted to score a free-kick past Neuer´ - Calhanoglu
3 May 2015
Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu described scoring a free-kick past Bayern Munich goalkeeper as a "special" moment on Saturday.
Leverkusen took full advantage of a depleted Bayern side, defeating the newly crowned Bundesliga champions 2-0 at BayArena.
Substitute Julian Brandt completed the scoring with nine minutes remaining but Calhanoglu got the ball rolling with a well-executed free-kick 10 minutes into the second half.
The Turkey international curled a set-piece over the wall and into the bottom-left corner.
"I've always really wanted to score a free-kick past Manuel Neuer," Calhanoglu said.
"If you can put one past the best goalkeeper there is then it makes it all the sweeter. It's important for me because it gives me the belief that I have a chance of scoring past any goalkeeper, so it's extra special for me.
"I was only focusing on the ball and I didn't see a gap appear in the wall. The important thing for me was to strike the ball well.
"I celebrated with the team doctor because he believed in me and told me I'd score a free-kick today."
Leverkusen's 10-match unbeaten streak has catapulted the club up to third in the Bundesliga standings, four points adrift of Wolfsburg with three games remaining.
Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Sonny Kittel is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
The 22-year-old has struggled with injuries throughout his career and was dealt a fresh blow after lasting just 20 minutes of Saturday's 1-0 Bundesliga defeat at Werder Bremen.
No timescale has been put on an expected return for Kittel, but tests also showed damage to his medial collateral ligament.
"We are deeply shocked by the prognosis," Frankfurt coach Thomas Schaaf told the club's official website.
"We're terribly sorry that Sonny has suffered a serious knee injury after all the setbacks in his young career. Now one can only look ahead."
Borussia Dortmund and Colombia striker Adrian Ramos is set to miss the Copa America after suffering an ankle injury in training.
Ramos damaged his ankle on Friday and Dortmund revealed on Sunday that he is set to be sidelined for up to three months.
The 29-year-old has endured a disappointing first season at Signal Iduna Park and will play no part in the remainder of the campaign.
The former Hertha Berlin frontman is also set to sit out the Copa America in Chile, which starts next month.
A statement on Dortmund's official website said: "As has already been reported, Adrian Ramos suffered a serious injury in training on Friday when he stepped on the ball.
"The diagnosis was that he seriously injured his ankle, which is all the information at hand at the moment. He will probably be out for up to three months."
The Bundesliga club are still waiting to discover the extent of an injury sustained by Jakub Blaszczykowski during Saturday's 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim.
Roel Brouwers will prolong his association with Borussia Monchengladbach into a ninth season after signing a one-year extension with the club.
Having moved to Monchengladbach in 2007, the 33-year-old has made 218 appearances and helped the side cement their place back in the upper reaches of the Bundesliga in recent campaigns.
Brouwers' deal was due to expire in June, but the club have moved to keep the experienced central defender within Lucien Favre's squad.
"Roel is a reliable person and has proved again this season he deserves a place in our team," said sporting director Max Eberl.
"He has earned this contract extension and we are delighted to have him here for next season."
Borussia Dortmund expect midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowski to miss the next two Bundesliga matches after suffering a groin injury.
The Poland international was substituted four minutes before half-time in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim and now faces a race against time to return again this season.
Dortmund confirmed on their official Twitter account that the 29-year-old had sustained a torn abductor muscle, but remain hopeful he will be back for the penultimate game of the season against Werder Bremen.
Blaszczykowski's injury is the latest setback in his season, having missed the first half of the campaign with knee ligament trouble.
His absence will be another blow for departing coach Jurgen Klopp, who also lost striker Adrian Ramos for three months after sustaining an ankle injury in training on Friday.
Werder Bremen captain Clemens Fritz has agreed a one-year extension that will see him remain at the Bundesliga club until June 2016.
The 34-year-old has played a big part in Werder's campaign this season under Viktor Skripnik, making 25 league appearances at the heart of their defence.
Fritz arrived at the club in 2006 and is looking forward to a 10th campaign at the Weserstadion.
He said: "I am convinced Werder are developing something, and with my experience on and off the pitch I can provide important assistance to further advance our goals.
"I wanted to make sure my body could compete at the top level for one more year, and it looks good. I feel very good here, and have a great desire to continue to play."
Wolfsburg's sporting director Klaus Allofs has confirmed the club are interested in signing Germany forward Max Kruse from Bundesliga rivals Borussia Monchengladbach.
The Germany international has 12 goals in all competitions this term, helping Gladbach to third in the table - two points behind Wolfsburg.
Kruse also scored a late winner in the game between the sides last month as he ensured a victory that ended Wolfsburg's slim title hopes.
And Allofs is keen to sign the 27-year-old, claiming Kruse would offer Wolfsburg a different threat up front.
"It is known that Max Kruse has the opportunity to leave his club," Allofs told Kicker, referring to an apparent release clause in the player's contract.
"We are dealing with him but we also know that we are not alone [in doing so].
"Kruse is a striker with a different profile to what our other strikers have."
With Bayern Munich and Barcelona set to do battle in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, Thiago Alcantara said Pep Guardiola's departure from the Spanish giants influenced his decision to move to Germany.
Guardiola left Barcelona in 2011-12 to take a year-long sabbatical before taking charge of Bayern in June 2013, and prised Thiago to Munich within months of his arrival at Allianz Arena.
The pair are now preparing to face former club Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals at Camp Nou and 24-year-old Thiago said things could have been different had Guardiola prolonged his stay in Catalonia.
"Pep has always had a lot of faith in me, and me in him, so if he was still the coach then yes, probably," Thiago told the Independent.
"But going over the past doesn't help you with the future and I'm just lucky enough to be here now with him at Bayern."
Now that Thiago is in Bavaria, the Spaniard will come up against former team-mate Lionel Messi.
And understandably, Thiago had nothing but praise for the Argentina captain.
"He's playing deeper, and he's scored 38 La Liga goals – you could play him in goal, and he would still score 25 a season," said Thiago.
"He's out of this world. But while it is fine to recognise that, and have respect for him, when you have him in front of you [you must] try to get the ball off him and play yourself."
Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery says he is unlikely to be fit for his side's European clash with Barcelona next week due to his ankle injury.
The Frenchman has not featured for the Bundesliga champions since March's UEFA Champions League victory over Shakhtar, but had been rumoured to be close to a comeback in time for the semi-final second leg against Barca.
Bayern were beaten 3-0 at Camp Nou in the first leg on Wednesday, with Ribery's recovery not progressing as well as expected.
As such, Ribery is unlikely to hand Pep Guardiola a timely boost ahead of the return game at the Allianz Arena next week.
"I am very sad, I wanted to achieve big things," he told Kicker.
"I worked hard for my comeback but my ankle did not heal. I am sick of it."
Guardiola has had to deal with injuries to the likes of Arjen Robben and David Alaba in recent weeks as Bayern's season has begun to unravel since retaining their Bundesliga title.
Following their DFB-Pokal semi-final exit to Borussia Dortmund, Guardiola's men are left facing an uphill task to stay in Europe.
Bayern Munich v Augsburg: Bundesliga champions seek confidence boost
7 May 2015 12:26
Bayern Munich will be out to secure a confidence-boosting victory over Augsburg on Saturday ahead of a huge UEFA Champions League task.
Bayern, already crowned German champions, collapsed in the first leg of their semi-final against Barcelona in Europe's premier club competition on Wednesday, conceding three times in the last 13 minutes.
That gave the La Liga leaders a 3-0 home win and set up their likely progression to a final against either Juventus or Real Madrid in Berlin on June 6.
While Bayern will take heart from their Champions League quarter-final - where they lost 3-1 at Porto only to turn the tie around with a 6-1 home win in the second leg - achieving the feat against Barca is expected to be considerably tougher.
The Bavarian giants could do with a lift this weekend, with goalkeeper Manuel Neuer acknowledging spirits were low after their loss on Pep Guardiola's return to Camp Nou.
"I think we were a little thrown by the first goal. Our glimmer of hope is the game against Porto," Neuer told the club's official website.
Augsburg, punching above their weight in sixth, will be desperate for a result as they strive for European football next season.
Markus Weinzierl's side occupy one of the two UEFA Europa League spots, but have won just two of their last 12 matches.
With Werder Bremen, Hoffenheim and Borussia Dortmund all snapping at their heels, a heavy defeat would strike a major blow to their chances of securing a top-six finish with just another two matches remaining after this weekend
Bayern lost just their third Bundesliga game of the season last weekend, slumping to a 2-0 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen.
But in the midst of an injury crisis that has sidelined Arjen Robben (calf), Franck Ribery (ankle), David Alaba (knee) and Holger Badstuber (thigh), Bayern had one eye on their Champions League semi-final.
Winning the league already allowed them such a luxury and Augsburg will hope for a similar result - particularly given the position Bayern find themselves in against Barcelona.
Robert Lewandowski, who missed the Leverkusen match but returned against Barcelona wearing a facial mask, is set to feature again.
The Poland international is the league's third top scorer, with 16, three behind Frankfurt's Alexander Meier.
Guardiola's side scored four times in the second half of their 4-0 win at Augsburg earlier this season, with Robben netting twice.
Borussia Dortmund v Hertha Berlin: We are still in control - Hummels
7 May 2015 12:58
Mats Hummels believes European qualification is still in Borussia Dortmund's hands ahead of Saturday's clash with Hertha Berlin.
Dortmund beat Bayern Munich on penalties to reach the final of the DFB-Pokal last week, but could not back that up with a win at Hoffenheim last weekend as they had to settle for a 1-1 draw.
Defender Hummels scored a 35th-minute equaliser, but a winner was not forthcoming so Jurgen Klopp's side missed a chance to go seventh.
Currently ninth with just three matches remaining, Dortmund need to finish fifth or sixth to book a spot in next season's UEFA Europa League if they fail to win the DFB-Pokal final against Wolfsburg.
Hoffenheim, Werder Bremen, Augsburg and Schalke are also vying for a top-six finish, with Champions League qualification well and truly beyond them.
Qualifying for any form of continental football would be an excellent outcome given Dortmund's dreadful start to the season which saw them at the foot of the table.
And having already won the German Super Cup - and now in the DFB-Pokal showpiece - Klopp's men can at least finish the coach's tenure on a high note.
Looking ahead to the Hertha clash, Hummels told Dortmund's official website: "Unfortunately, we've missed the chance to set ourselves up with a better starting position in the table for the last few weeks.
"I hope we won't be missing those points at the end. But I'm convinced that it's still in our own hands."
Following Saturday's match, Dortmund have league clashes against Wolfsburg, who sit second, and Werder Bremen. But, for now, all their attention will be on stopping a Berlin side who are winless in four.
A tough end to the season has them lose to champions Bayern and third-placed Borussia Monchengladbach, in successive weeks. They have slipped to 13th in the table and will be desperate for a result that could secure their safety.
Hertha are only four points above the relegation zone and still have to play Eintracht Frankfurt and Hoffenheim.
Hertha have done well against Dortmund in recent years, though, winning three of the last five clashes. That includes a 1-0 triumph in December, which came thanks to Julian Schieber's first-half strike. Schieber is Hertha's top scorer with seven goals this season.
The capital club have won 2-1 on their last two visits to Signal-Iduna Park and will face a Dortmund side who will be without Adrian Ramos (ankle) and Jakub Blaszczykowski (adductor).
Bundesliga Preview: Monchengladbach host Leverkusen in battle for third
7 May 2015 13:37
With Bayern Munich having already wrapped up the Bundesliga title, the chase for guaranteed UEFA Champions League football intensifies this weekend as Borussia Monchengladbach host Bayer Leverkusen.
The teams sit third and fourth respectively, with only the top three earning an automatic place in the group stage of Europe's elite club competition.
Leverkusen's 2-0 victory over Bayern last time out kept them within two points of Monchengladbach with three games left to play, and many are dubbing Saturday's clash 'the battle for third'.
"We know we’ve got to get a result at Gladbach but it’s in our own hands," said Leverkusen full-back Roberto Hilbert. "There is no shortage of confidence."
There is still a possibility both sides could finish in the top three, of course, with second-placed Wolfsburg's league campaign having tailed off with a winless run of three.
Dieter Hecking's men - set to meet Borussia Dortmund in the DFB-Pokal final on May 30 - will be hopeful of halting their poor run of form at struggling Paderborn this weekend.
A top-four finish is beyond the reach of fifth-placed Schalke, who currently lead the race for UEFA Europa League qualification and visit Cologne on Sunday.
Augsburg - two points adrift of Schalke - occupy the second Europa League spot ahead of their trip to champions Bayern, while Werder Bremen and Hoffenheim head the chasing pack.
Bremen head to Hannover on Saturday, while Hoffenheim are on the road at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Ninth-placed Borussia Dortmund would seal a continental berth with victory over Wolfsburg in the cup final later this month, but will want to give themselves every chance of qualifying through the league by beating Hertha Berlin at Signal Iduna Park.
At the bottom end of the league, the situation looks increasingly bleak for Stuttgart, although they will not be relegated this weekend.
The Bundesliga's basement club are four points adrift of guaranteed safety and host Mainz, while Freiburg - current occupants of the relegation play-off spot - kick off the weekend's action at Hamburg on Friday.
Hannover occupy the second spot in the drop zone, but are three points better off than Stuttgart.
Hamburg 1 Freiburg 1: Kacar late show ensures stalemate
8 May 2015 22:51
Freiburg were denied a potentially priceless victory at the Imtech Arena as Gojko Kacar was again the hero for Hamburg in their 1-1 draw.
The Bundesliga strugglers remain separated by just a point as Kacar punished Freiburg with a 90th-minute leveller.
Admir Mehmedi opened the scoring after 25 minutes when he latched onto Karim Guede's flicked header and fired across Rene Adler in the hosts' goal.
The likes of Felix Klaus and Nils Petersen had the best efforts to seal the points for Freiburg, who were on course to inflict a first defeat of Bruno Labbadia's latest reign.
However, having seen an earlier effort blocked inside the area, Kacar's persistence paid off.
The Serbia international - who scored the late winner in last week's 2-1 victory at Mainz - nodded home inside the area to ensure a point that edges Hamburg closer to safety.
Christian Streich's men move out of the bottom three on goal difference from Paderborn.
Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has refused to rule out the prospect of Jurgen Klopp one day returning to the club.
Klopp will leave his post as Dortmund boss at the end of the season following a seven-year spell that has seen him guide the club to two Bundesliga titles, a DFB-Pokal and the UEFA Champions League final in 2013.
He will attempt to end his reign with one final piece of silverware as Dortmund take on Wolfsburg in the Pokal final at the end of the month before Thomas Tuchel takes over.
And when asked if Klopp could potentially return to the Signal Iduna Park dugout one day, Zorc replied: "Why not?"
"Maybe not in the immediate future, but Jurgen's still a pretty young coach so why shouldn't he come back to Dortmund? There's nothing to say he won't."
After Mario Gotze came in for criticism from Franz Beckenbauer, Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola has voiced his support for the forward.
Gotze's form in recent weeks has come into question, with Bayern legend Beckenbauer saying earlier this week that the Germany international needs to "grow up".
"No blame is on Gotze. He is a superb talent with a great future," Guardiola said.
"Gotze is the best professional I've met. He's had a great season, one game of 10 minutes doesn't change that."
Gotze was a late substitute in Bayern's 3-0 defeat to Barcelona in Wednesday's UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg at Camp Nou.
That result appears to have ended any hopes of reaching the final and, coupled with the DFB-Pokal semi-final loss to Borussia Dortmund, it has been a disappointing two weeks for the Bundesliga champions.
But ahead of the return leg at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday, Guardiola remains in positive mood.
"I'm realistic. We have 90 more minutes against Barcelona. I believe, so does the team. Against Barca it is hard, but we can do it," he added.
"I am a realist. You have to win. To dream about it is not enough.
"It's been an amazing season. Of course, we wanted the treble, but it's been a great season. I am very pleased with our performance against Barcelona.
"We played okay in Barcelona, but not perfect. We want to play our best team on Tuesday to give us the best chance.
"We'll rotate our squad for the game against Augsburg [on Saturday]. Our focus is on Tuesday."
