Former Borussia Dortmund midfielder Marco Stiepermann has shared his hopes of emulating Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp as he prepares to start his managerial career in Germany's regional leagues.
The midfielder, who progressed through Dortmund's academy and won two back-to-back Bundesliga titles under Klopp before enjoying a four-year stint at Norwich City, has agreed to become the manager of the amateur side ASC 09 Dortmund.
The 32-year-old is currently on the books of Wuppertaler SV in his final season as a professional but his switch to management will allow him to utilise the unique education he received from Klopp during his two-year spell in the Borussia Dortmund first-team between 2009 to 2011.
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Speaking to German publication BILD ahead of his hanging his boots up at the end of the season, Stiepermann admits he was fascinated by the way the Liverpool manager was able to 'develop a greed' within the squad and lead Dortmund to back-to-back league titles for just the second time in the club's history.
"Even as a young player, I was fascinated by how Kloppo [Jurgen Klopp] was able to grab us as a team from the first to the last man and develop this greed in us," said Stiepermann. "Even today you feel that all players love him. I will also take everyone with me.
"We were the most disgusting team against the ball for a few years. I want to get that in my boys too. A dear team that does not work properly against the ball will not be successful."
After witnessing the force of English football and later the Premier League first-hand as Norwich City earned promotion during his four-year stay in Norfolk, Stiepermann has been studying tapes of Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta as he hopes to incorporate a similar possession-based philosophy at ASC 09 Dortmund, who play in the sixth-tier of German football.
"I want to play very possession-oriented," added Stiepermann. "That's why I'm currently studying a lot of games from Man City's Pep Guardiola and Arsenal's Mikel Arteta – their football is the ultimate in this area.
"If we can get just one percent of that in, we're on the right track. I'm taking over a technically strong team that can play this kind of possession football."
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