Jurgen Klopp opens door to Liverpool return, turns down Man Utd

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed he turned down the chance to manage Manchester United before finally moving to England two years later at Anfield.

Undoubtedly one of the greatest managers in Liverpool history, Klopp guided the Reds to eight trophies during his nine-year spell – achieving domestic, European and world success.

However, things could have been different had he accepted Manchester United’s call in 2013.

Klopp was highly-sought after during his spell at Borussia Dortmund from 2008-2015 having guided them to back-to-back Bundesliga titles [2011 and 2012] as well as the DFB-Pokal in 2012.

His Dortmund’s team also reached the Champions League final at Wembley in 2013, falling to a late defeat against rivals Bayern Munich.

During that time, United were looking to replace the retiring Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford. Klopp in a new interview has now revealed why he shunned the offer before jumping at the chance to manage Liverpool in 2015 following his Dortmund exit.

Jurgen Klopp lifts the 2024 Carabao Cup trophy during his time as Liverpool Manager. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Given his reason for turning down the chance to become Ferguson’s successor in a brutally honest interview on the Diary of a CEO podcast, Klopp said: “They tried! It was the wrong time, the wrong moment.

“I had a contract at Dortmund, I would have left for nobody at that time, they just needed a manager – I was one of a few options I think.”

He added: “There are some reasons [why I turned down job], but the people in that conversation told me [things] which I didn’t like.

“United was that big, ‘We get all the players we want, we can get him, we get him, we get him…’, and I was sitting there, ‘Huh…’

“So it was not my project, it didn’t feel like mine – it was the wrong time – but on top of that, it was not my project.

“I didn’t want to bring back, [for example], [Paul] Pogba – Pogba is a sensational player, my God, but these things don’t work usually.

“Or [to bring back] Cristiano [Ronaldo], my God, we all know that he’s the best player – or together with [Lionel] Messi – the best player in the world.

“But to bring him back, it never helps, and in that time in 2013, it was obviously not about Cristiano, maybe not even about Paul.

“But it was just the idea, ‘We bring the best players together and let’s go [that I didn’t like].’

“I sat there and I was like, ‘I’m not sure, that’s not for me,’ so then the pure football project comes up with Liverpool.

“And the sensational talk to Mike Gordon [Fenway Sports Group president and Liverpool director], that’s really important as well.

Juergen Klopp celebrates one of Liverpool’s victory. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

“After the talk, I wanted to be his friend, he’s such a good guy, so that’s how it [Liverpool journey] started, and in the end, yeah, it was pretty special.”

Asked he could be back in the Anfield dugout in the future, Klopp declared: “I said I will never coach a different team in England.

“So that means if [Klopp returns], then it’s Liverpool, so yeah, theoretically it’s possible.”

But Klopp was quick to stress: “I love what I do right now, I don’t miss coaching. I don’t. I mean I do coach, just different, not players. And I don’t miss it.

“I don’t miss standing in the rain two-and-a-half, three hours. I don’t miss going to press conference three times a week, having 10-12 interviews a week. I don’t miss that.

“I don’t miss being in the dressing room in the sense that I didn’t have it often enough, I coached 1,080 something games, so I was in the dressing room very, very often.

“I don’t want to die in a dressing room just because it’s so nice – it smells!

“I’m 58, that’s from your perspective old, from the other side, it’s not that old, that means I could make the decision in a few years. I don’t know.

“If I had to make the decision today, I won’t coach again, but thank God I don’t have to do that. I can just see what the future brings.

“But now I’m involved in a project that I really love, I love the people that I’m working together with, the clubs that I’m responsible for and the countries the clubs are in, so I like what I am doing right now.

“And in my mind, only if I focused 100 per cent on it, I can do it really good, and that’s what I always want to do.”