Jurgen Klopp named Premier League Manager of the Year

Liverpool's German manager Jurgen Klopp has been named Premier League manager of the year by the League Managers' Association. (AFP/File)
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Updated 25 May 2022
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Jurgen Klopp named Premier League Manager of the Year

  • The German also collected the Sir Alex Ferguson Trophy, named in honor of the celebrated former Manchester United boss, which is voted for by the full membership of managers across all the divisions in English senior football

LONDON: Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp has been named the League Managers’ Association Premier League Manager of the Year, it was announced on Tuesday.

The Reds won both the English League Cup and FA Cup, beating Chelsea in penalty shootouts at Wembley on both occasions.

But Liverpool lost out on the Premier League title to Manchester City by just a point after both Klopp’s men and Pep Guardiola’s side won their respective matches on Sunday’s final day of a thrilling campaign.

Klopp, collecting his accolade at the LMA Awards dinner in London on Tuesday, said: “It is a great honor and it was an insane season.

“The last matchday when only two games were meaningless and in the rest, we all played for absolutely everything.

“It was not the best outcome for us, but we are already over it.”

The German, paying tribute to his backroom team, added: “When you win a prize like this you are either a genius or you have the best coaching staff in the world — and I am here with all of my coaching staff, they know how much I appreciate them.”

Klopp also collected the Sir Alex Ferguson Trophy, named in honor of the celebrated former Manchester United boss, which is voted for by the full membership of managers across all the divisions in English senior football.

“This being voted for by my colleagues is obviously the most important prize you can get,” Klopp said.

“I don’t believe in individual prizes in football generally, it is a team sport and I would be nothing without these boys there.

“It is all about what we can do together and what we did together.”

Liverpool may have been denied an unprecedented quadruple by City, but they will now try to add the Champions League to their impressive trophy haul this season when they face Real Madrid in a Paris final on Saturday.


‘Winning mindset’: Yazeed Al-Rajhi ready to defend title at Dakar 2026

Updated 02 January 2026
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‘Winning mindset’: Yazeed Al-Rajhi ready to defend title at Dakar 2026

  • Race runs from Jan. 3-17, will start and conclude in Yanbu

YANBU: Saudi rally star Yazeed Al-Rajhi is gearing up to defend his Dakar Rally title as the 2026 edition of the race kicks off in Yanbu on Jan. 3.

Last year’s victory confirmed Al-Rajhi as the first Saudi driver to win the overall car category (Ultimate), the highest class in what is considered the world’s toughest rally.

Al-Rajhi said: “We are approaching Dakar 2026 with great determination and an even greater sense of responsibility after our achievement in 2025. Winning the title was a historic moment, but the real challenge now is defending it. The car is fully ready, the team is working as one, and our objective from the start is clear: to fight for victory and secure a strong opening to the W2RC season.”

He highlighted the complete readiness of co-driver Timo Gottschalk as the team looks to repeat last year’s success in their Overdrive Toyota Hilux.

Gottschalk said: “The preparation for this season has been intense and extremely precise. We focused on every aspect Dakar demands in terms of concentration and discipline. Our synergy is at its best, and we are ready to manage the rally stage by stage, intending to fight for victory from day one.”

The Dakar Rally 2026, set to run from Jan. 3-17, will cover 7,994 km, with 4,840 km of timed stages across Saudi Arabia’s diverse landscapes. It will consist of 13 competitive stages, in addition to a prologue stage, with a rest day in the capital city. The rally will start and conclude in Yanbu, featuring seven loop stages and two marathon stages, which significantly increase the level of difficulty and place greater physical and technical demands on crews and teams.

Al-Rajhi has also expressed his desire to compete for the title of the World Rally-Raid Championship W2RC. Since the championship’s launch in 2022, he has finished runner-up twice and third overall once, highlighting his consistency at the highest level. The Saudi star said that his clear objective this season is to claim the W2RC title, with Dakar serving as the opening round of the championship.

Al-Rajhi acknowledged that competition this year will be extremely intense, but added that the goal has been clear from the outset: to defend the Dakar title and move forward steadily toward winning the World Rally-Raid Championship.

“Early preparation and attention to the smallest technical and physical details give us strong confidence heading into the rally,” he added. “We know the competition will be tough, but we enter Dakar with a winning mindset, aiming to deliver a complete season that reflects the name of Saudi Arabia and matches our global ambitions.”

Al-Rajhi extended his sincere gratitude and appreciation to Jameel Motorsport, his official partner, for their unwavering support. He credited their backing as one of the key pillars behind his continued success and achievements in the Kingdom.