KLOPP LOOMS IN LEIPZIG

German will not attend Red Bull club's clash against Reds but remains talk of the town

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LEIPZIG - RB Leipzig host Liverpool in the Champions League as Jurgen Klopp's recent past and not-too-distant future collide.

The 57-year-old will not be at the Red Bull Arena on Oct 23 but his shadow still looms over the contest. Klopp stepped down as Liverpool manager in the summer, citing exhaustion after a successful nine-year spell, which included winning the Champions League and English Premier League.

In October, Klopp announced his return to football, not as a coach but running Red Bull's football operations, which oversees clubs in several cities including Leipzig, Salzburg and New York. He will be absent from the game, choosing not to attend a match before starting the role in January.

While the appointment was a surprise in Germany and in England, the focus on Leipzig has been particularly acute. Klopp was again a topic of conversation by fans and media after Leipzig's 2-0 win at Mainz on Oct 19.

Some fans held banners protesting the appointment, while reporters asked if Leipzig coach Marco Rose had asked Klopp for tips on how to beat the Reds on Oct 23.

Rose played under Klopp for several years at Mainz and the two maintain a good relationship.

He said he would "not be phoning up" his former coach for tips on how to beat Liverpool.