ROGER SCHMIDT has revealed he wants to follow Jurgen Klopp to the Premier League.
Bayer Leverkusen boss Schmidt will face Arsenal’s rivals Tottenham tonight (7.45pm) in their Champions League clash at Wembley.
Schmidt’s side need to avoid defeat to keep their chances of reaching the knockout stages alive.
But the 49-year-old could one day return to London as Arsenal manager, with Schmidt reportedly on the Gunners’ radar as a potential replacement for Arsene Wenger.
Wenger’s current contract expires at the end of the season and he is yet to reveal whether he will be signing a new one.
And Schmidt has thrown his name in the hat for the job by admitting he is interested in following his compatriot Jurgen Klopp to England.
“I like English football very much, because of the culture of football in the country,” Schmidt told the Mirror.
“I’m contracted with Leverkusen until 2019 but, if it was possible in the future to be a manager of an English football team, it would be very interesting for me. But at the moment, I am very happy where I am.
“In every country there are good managers. But now is the time for the German managers, whereas in the past it’s been the turn of the Italian or English coaches.
“You have a very good example in England with Jurgen Klopp. He did very well at Borussia Dortmund, twice he won the championship and is very successful at Liverpool. In the future, I’m sure he will have even more success there.
“Klopp develops and improves teams. He is a fantastic example in England of a good German coach. I’m sure there are a few more in this style.
How many managers has Arsene Wenger outlasted?
Fri, September 30, 2016Click through the gallery to see how mnay managers the current Premier League sides have employed since Arsene Wenger took charge of Arsenal in 1996
Click through the gallery to see how many managers the current Premier League sides have employed since Arsene Wenger took charge of Arsenal in 1996
“Klopp is a good inspiration for me. I like his active style of football and also his style as a coach. Dortmund beat Bayern Munich twice in the championships and the reason for that was that they played a very aggressive style.
“Klopp showed what is possible with a brave style of football. It’s good to see a manager develop in that style. If you want to overperform then you have to play differently, play very aggressively.
“He is a good inspiration and example of that.”