Emre Can caused 'problem' for Jürgen Klopp with Liverpool exit as Champions League final awaits
Former Liverpool midfielder Emre Can will get a second chance at Champions League glory after leading Borussia Dortmund to an unlikely final. The Bundesliga side edged out Paris Saint-Germain over two legs and will face Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the final at Wembley.
Skipper Can was excellent over both legs for Dortmund, who won 1-0 in Paris in the second leg on Tuesday night thanks to a Mats Hummels header. The Germany international left Liverpool in the summer of 2018 after appearing as a substitute in the final defeat to Real Madrid.
He had been offered a new deal at Anfield but decided to reject the terms and completed a switch to Juventus. Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp dismissed any suggestions of a bust-up, although he had hoped he would sign the new contract.
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"We always had and still have a good relationship," Klopp told the Liverpool ECHO. "I have no problem with a player leaving. The only problem I had for the club was that I wanted to get some money: "Sign a new contract and then we'll sell you!" But that wasn't really realistic.
"There was never a problem between Emre and I. Playing in another country can be a life target. He's a top player and he's gone to a top club, it's all good."
Can would only spend 18 months with Juventus before completing a move to Dortmund, joining initially on loan. He signed a new deal last summer until 2026 and was named as club captain by boss Edin Terzić.
Speaking to The Athletic, he insisted he did not regret his time in Italy before reflecting on his spell with Liverpool. Can said: "There are many, many parallels between Dortmund and Liverpool as clubs.
“When I think back to my time in England, I always tell everyone how much running we did. We were up and down, all day. At the beginning, the quality wasn’t super high, but in the last two seasons we had a superb team that also understood the importance of hard graft.
“You had no choice under Kloppo. He was very challenging. If you didn’t get to the second ball, for example, he would scream and the next time, you really made sure that you got there, double-quick. I learned that you can’t do anything without hard work."
Can will hope to go one better than his last Champions League final experience at Wembley. Can had been desperate to play against Real Madrid but injuries ensured he could only play from the bench. He will get the honor of leading Dortmund out this time, and his former boss is sure to be watching.