Liverpool are just 90 minutes away from the Champions League final.

The Reds will take on Roma in the second leg of their semi-final tie on Wednesday and, with a 5-2 advantage, they are the heavy favourites to advance.

It’s an exciting time for Liverpool, with little going wrong besides a 0-0 draw against Stoke City on Saturday.

Yet there was a huge shock on Sunday night when it was reported that Jurgen Klopp’s No.2, Zeljko Buvac, has decided to leave the club.

It was pretty big news considering Buvac is often credited as being the brains behind Liverpool’s ‘Gegenpressing’ tactical system.

Buvac and Klopp worked together for 17 years, so news that their relationship is over sparked concern among fans.

According to the Daily Record, the pair have had a dispute that has prompted Buvac to tender his resignation.

The truth

Klopp and Buvac had apparently stopped talking to each other during matches and the assistant has been left out of tactical meetings at the club.

“Klopp and Buvac had a big falling out,” a Liverpool source told Record Sport. “And Buvac has been left completely out of the loop of late. The relationship had broken down."

However, that isn't the truth. Liverpool have denied the report that Buvac has quit - but he will miss the rest of the season.

According to the Liverpool Echo, Buvac is stepping away from the club for personal reasons but he remains an employee at the club and his position is unaffected by the recent developments. 

The timing couldn’t have been any worse. Klopp will still expect to progress to the Champions League final but he will need all the help he can get in a potential final against Real Madrid.

And it hasn’t escaped anyone’s attention that Liverpool aren’t assured of a top four spot in the Premier League just yet.

Buvac first met as players at Mainz and they’ve since coached together at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund before arriving at Anfield in 2015.

Buvac explained what their relationship was like in a newspaper interview two years ago.

“Kloppo as a player was the same as he is as a manager. His character was the same, he wants to win, you cannot help but like him,” the Bosnian Serb said.

“Both of us were looking to become managers and we promised each other, ‘If I am the first manager, I will take you and if you are the first manager you will take me.’ He came first.

“It is a friendship. Before every training session and after every training session we talk together. Before every match and after every match we talk.”