Jürgen Klopp recognized the career of tennis idol Boris Becker in moving words.
“You showed me that I don’t have to wait until I am old enough, but that I can already. Whatever I want, I can get myself now because you have won the biggest tennis title of all time at a time when it was considered absolutely impossible,” said the former success football coach at the “Sport Bild” Award in Hamburg.
“I owe my career to you. I owe you wonderful moments in life,” said Klopp. The 58-year-old praised Becker as a “German sports legend”.
At the age of 17, Becker celebrated his first of a total of three Wimbledon wins in 1985. For his career with six Grand Slam tournament victories, he received the legend prize at the Award in the Hanseatic City.
Klopp still knew where he was at the triumph of Becker. After the match, he went to the tennis court. “I played my soul out of my body,” said Klopp.
The visibly stirred Becker had tears in his eyes. “You came up with something. I didn’t expect that,” said Becker to Klopp.
“And if I were a footballer, I would have liked to have played for you. So if you had told me that before a final, a semi -finals, you couldn’t have broken me,” said the 57 -year -old Becker. “We are actually brothers of different mothers,” joked Becker.