Tottenham are considering a swoop for German coach Marco Rose, who has had his fair share of managerial controversies
Marco Rose has emerged as the new favourite to take the reins at Tottenham. The 49-year-old German has surged ahead of Roberto De Zerbi, Mauricio Pochettino and John Heitinga in the race for the vacant hotseat following Thomas Frank's dismissal on Wednesday.
Rose, whose managerial resume includes spells at RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Monchengladbach, has developed a reputation as a high-intensity, front-foot coach. His proactive, pressing style has frequently drawn comparisons with former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
But despite their philosophical similarities, Rose and Klopp haven't always seen eye to eye. In fact, tensions between the two boiled over in dramatic fashion last year.
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Soured relationship with Klopp
Some might consider Klopp and Rose something of an administrative dream team, but at RB Leipzig, it was anything but. Just three months into his spell as Global Head of Soccer at Red Bull, Klopp sanctioned Rose's departure, bringing an abrupt end to the latter's three-year tenure at the Bundesliga side.
According to German outlet Bild, Klopp had initially been one of Rose's strongest backers, having signed him as a player during his time in charge of Mainz. However, their relationship reportedly deteriorated following a dismal run of results - just two wins in 11 league games - which saw Leipzig slip out of the Champions League spots and left Klopp "unsatisfied" with Leipzig's "sporting development" under Rose.
A few months later, Klopp admitted that sacking Rose was "a bitter pill to swallow." Speaking to The Athletic, he said: "It's not great. It will never be my hobby. But it's things you have to do. What I want is to hire coaches for the right reasons. And if you finish working together, then it is also for the right reasons and not for the media asking for it."
Fan backlash
Rose's Leipzig exit wasn't the first time he'd left a club acrimoniously. His previous role - a brief stint at Dortmund - lasted just 12 months, with Rose and the board mutually agreeing to part ways at the end of the 2021/22 campaign.
On paper, his record was respectable. Dortmund collected more points than in 2020/21 and climbed from third to second in the table. But supporters remained unconvinced, frustrated by what they saw as tactical rigidity.
There was a perceived over-reliance on star striker Erling Haaland. Much of the system was geared towards maximising the Norwegian's strengths, but when he was absent - or off form - Dortmund often appeared toothless in attack. Fans lamented the lack of a viable Plan B, particularly given the attacking depth available in Jude Bellingham, Marco Reus, Thorgan Hazard, Youssoufa Moukoko and Julian Brandt.
Defensive frailties also persisted. Rose struggled to resolve the transition issues that had dogged the side under his predecessor, Lucien Favre, with Dortmund conceding 52 league goals - the highest tally among the top six.
That inconsistency, compounded by disappointing cup campaigns - a Champions League group-stage exit, a Europa League knockout play-off defeat to Rangers, and a shock DFB-Pokal loss to second-tier FC St. Pauli - ultimately tainted Rose's short tenure and made his end-of-season departure feel inevitable.
Betrayal
Rose earned widespread praise during his two-year spell at Borussia Monchengladbach between 2019 and 2021, though it ultimately ended on a sour note. A fourth-place finish in his debut campaign - which included eight weeks at the top of the Bundesliga - set an impressive early tone.
Progress from a Champions League group featuring Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk further enhanced his reputation, as did Gladbach's aggressive, high-tempo style. But midway through his second season, Dortmund made their move, and Rose agreed to take over at the end of the campaign.
Frustrated at losing their head coach to a domestic rival, Gladbach publicly confirmed his impending departure - a decision that proved destabilising. The team lost five of their next six league matches, slid out of the Champions League places, then out of the Europa League spots and were eventually dumped out of the DFB-Pokal by none other than Dortmund.
For Rose, the timing and manner of the announcement felt like a betrayal. The club's handling of the situation had a tangible impact on results, strained his relationship with supporters and left a lasting blemish on an otherwise promising tenure.