Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou joked that he would like Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp to take time away from football for competitive reasons, but ultimately empathised with his decision to step down due to tiredness.
Speaking ahead of Spurs' 1-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday night, Postecoglou admitted he understood why Klopp wants to enjoy a rest.
"I guess I was as surprised as anyone else because he's a top manager and they are flying at the moment," Postecoglou replied when asked about his initial reaction to the news.
"But also understanding, at the back of my mind, all of us who have been in the game a while, it's the constant thought in your head because you know how much you need to put into the position. He's probably one of the unique ones, he will go down as one of the best, when you do that at one club that is the uniqueness of it, you have to rebuild teams all the time within the same context."