Emre Can has caused Jürgen Klopp ‘trouble’ with Liverpool exit as Champions League final awaits

Former Liverpool midfielder Emre Can will be given 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 either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the final at Wembley.

Skipper Can was excellent in 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 was offered a new deal at Anfield but decided to reject the terms and completed a move to Juventus. Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp dismissed any suggestion of a move away, although he was hopeful he would sign the new deal.

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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 goal in life. He is a top player and he went to a top club, everything is fine.”

Can would spend just 18 months with Juventus before completing a move to Dortmund, initially joining on loan. He signed a new contract last summer until 2026 and was named club captain by boss Edin Terzić.

Speaking to The Athletic, he insisted he had no regrets about 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 about my time in England, I always tell everyone how much I ran. I’ve been up and down all day. In the beginning, the quality was not 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. It was very challenging. If you didn’t get to the second ball, for example, he’d yell the next time, you really made sure you got there, double-quick. I learned that you can’t do anything without hard work.”

Can will be hoping to go one better than his last Champions League final experience at Wembley. Can was desperate to play against Real Madrid, but injuries have ensured he can only play from the bench. He will be given the honor of managing Dortmund this time and his former boss is sure to follow.