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Posts Tagged ‘claude-dassier’

• Klopp had reportedly been asked about replacing Roy Hodgson
• ‘There’s been no approach and there’s no point talking about it’

The Borussia Dortmund manager, Jürgen Klopp, has played down speculation linking him with the Liverpool job. “There has been no approach and there’s no point talking about it,” the 43-year-old said.

Dortmund, runaway leaders in the Bundesliga with 14 wins from 17 games, started a six-day training camp in Jerez, Andalucia this afternoon amid reports that their coach has been sounded out as a possible candidate to succeed Roy Hodgson at Anfield.

Their chief executive, Hans-Joachim Watzke, said there was no possibility Klopp might be persuaded to leave the Signal Iduna Park by the Liverpool owners, New England Sports Ventures. “There’s been no official approach because it would be a waste of time,” Watzke said. “Everybody knows there’s no chance we’d let him go. We can but laugh [about this story]. Jürgen is a friend of mine and he has a contract until 2014. He would never break it.”

Klopp has been in charge of Dortmund since May 2008 and carefully rebuilt the club to emerge as the surprise package of this season. After sixth- and fifth‑placed finishes in 2009 and 2010 respectively, the team are 10 points clear of Mainz

• Deschamps signs one-year extension at Stade Vélodrome
• Frenchman had been linked to Liverpool manager’s job

Marseille’s coach, Didier Deschamps, has moved to end speculation over his future by extending his contract by a year until June 2012.

The former France captain, who led the south coast club to the Ligue 1 title last term, had been linked with the Liverpool job as a replacement for Rafael Benítez.

The Marseille president, Jean-Claude Dassier, who revealed at the weekend that Liverpool had contacted him over Deschamps, told the club’s official website: “I am very happy that Didier Deschamps has signed for another year.”

Deschamps, who has been at the Stade Vélodrome since 2009 after spells in charge of Juventus and Monaco, admitted he was “flattered” by the interest from Liverpool, but wanted to continue his work at Marseille.

“It makes me very happy,” he said. “It is not a financial question that I leave OM. After the season that we have experienced, there is still work to do. A great club asked me. I’m very flattered but when I start somewhere… If I ask for respect from my players, the least I can do is to be comparable in my commitment to the club. I owe it to the OM. I agree and I respect that commitment.”

Dassier revealed at the weekend he received a call from Liverpool’s executive director, Christian Purslow, last Thursday. “I kindly indicated to him that there wasn’t the slightest chance for him to pinch our coach. Even in his dreams,” Dassier said.

MarseilleLiverpoolguardian.co.uk