JURGEN KLOPP was jokingly branded a “curse” as his friend won just SEVEN POINTS on his para-badminton debut.
Liverpool’s former manager – a Premier League and Champions League winner – turned up in Paris on day one of the Paralympics to support his pal Wojtek Czyz.
Wearing New Zealand colours, the Poland-born star was thrashed 21-5 21-2 by Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell in the opening group match at the Arena Porte de la Chapelle.
Klopp, 57, is taking time out from football management after leaving Anfield after nine years at the end of last season.
Looking tanned, relaxed but with a slight paunch, Klopp hugged his mate in the mixed zone and then said: “How was it to watch him? Great, I enjoyed all five points (in the first set)! He’s 44, by the way, he’s 44!
“Will I come back to watch him again? No, not all the time. I mean, I have to think about it, because today was not such a successful day for me…”
Czyz, who has won four gold medals in para-athletics but took up badminton only three years ago, responded: “Maybe he’s a curse!”
The pair have been friends for more than 20 years ever since Czyz broke his leg in a football accident – he had a collision with a goalkeeper – days before he would turn professional at Fortuna Koln and that then spiralled into an amputation of his lower left leg.
A charity match was sent up in his honour after that life-changing incident in September 2001 and it was here that he met Klopp, then manager of Mainz.
They reconnected shortly before Klopp took over the Reds in October 2015 when they bumped into each other randomly at a harbour in Lisbon.
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Czyz went sailing with his now wife on a circumnavigation of the world a few years ago with a prosthesis workshop on board to provide prostheses in developing countries.
The couple then emigrated to New Zealand, where he sells manuka honey, during the Covid pandemic.
Klopp said: “The stories behind athletes are always special and my friend is super special.
“That’s what I love about sport, that it can change the world, sometimes only for moments and sometimes forever.
“I stood next to Eleanor, his incredible wife, and we both had tears in our eyes because I know sport is always about the result and winning.
“But there’s much more behind that story, and being here is always so touching that I couldn’t get my head around it. It’s a pure joy.
“Yesterday we stood in front of the Eiffel Tower and we both thought, ‘Wow! Again! It’s super, super special.
“We don’t call each other every day, but we have known each other for 23 years.
“His story is the most inspiring story I’ve heard in my life. This story has to be told, it has to be.
“He’s too crazy, we are completely different. I’m not brave enough to do what he does.
“He only told me yesterday how easy it is to dive with sharks. I said: ‘Yeah, I heard it now, I still don’t do it.’”
Czyz said: “Jurgen is family. It’s simply incredible that he wants to come.
“Not only for me, Jürgen is here to simply make a statement that the Paralympics and the para-sport is amazing.
“He was involved in all my close decisions. For his 50th birthday, he said: ‘Hey, I don’t want presents, make a donation to (the charity) this was through the charity Sailing4Handicaps.’ He’s really an incredible guy.”
