Jurgen Klopp Has Detailed Why He Turned Down Man United Before Joining Liverpool – Liverpool FC

While we have known for a long time how Jurgen Klopp turned down Man Unitedthe German has finally now gone into more detail about why he chose Liverpool over their rivals.

Two years prior to Klopp arriving on Merseyside, he had the chance to join Man United. Thankfully, he turned them down in favour of remaining at Borussia Dortmund.

“In the year Sir Alex (Ferguson) retired, they spoke to me,” Klopp said on The Diary of a CEO podcast.

“Of course, they were interested. At that time I was too. I was young and I had a sensational team at Borussia Dortmund, but it was the wrong moment.

“I had a contract with Dortmund and I wouldn’t have left for anyone.”

Man United decided to appoint David Moyes instead who lasted less than a year in the job. Including him, since Ferguson’s retirement, they have hired six permanent managers, none of whom have won the Premier League or Champions League.

Going into further detail about why he rejected the Red Devils in 2013, Klopp added: “There are some reasons what the people in that conversation told me that I didn’t like.

“United was that big, ‘We get all the players we want, we get him, we get him, we get him’.

“And I was sitting there (raised arms, confused), so it was not my project. It was the wrong time but on top of that, it was not my project.

“I didn’t want to bring back, I don’t know, Pogba. Pogba is a sensational player my God, but these things don’t work usually. These kind of things or Cristiano (Ronaldo).

“My God, we all know that he is the best player together with Messi in the world, but bringing back never helps.

“And that time, in 2013, it was obviously not about Cristiano, maybe about Paul. I’m not even sure but it was just, ‘The idea is we bring the best players together then let’s go’.”

Interviewer Steven Bartlett interjected: “It wasn’t about football?”

Klopp replied: “Not at all. Then I sat there and I was like, ‘Uh, naa. I’m not sure. That’s not for me’.”

This is in line with much of what football supporters have said over the last 10 years, as Man United have preferred to sign names over substance.

The likes of Antony, Jadon Sancho, Angel Di Maria, Edison Cavani, Radamel Falcao, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexis Sanchez have all come and gone on significant wages without making a sustained, long-term impact on the club.

Key conversation that helped Jurgen Klopp pick Liverpool

Klopp was in the middle of a break when Liverpool came calling in October 2015. Such was the lure of the club and the approach made by the owners, though, he couldn’t turn us down.

“The pure, pure football project comes up with Liverpool and the sensational talk to Mike Gordon – that’s really important as well,” the 58-year-old explained.

“He’s the owner. I know John (Henry) and Tom (Werner) of course as well, but Mike was responsible for us. I wanted after that talk to be his friend. He’s such a good guy.

“So that’s how it started and then in the end, yeah, it was pretty special.”

Klopp’s link to the Liverpool job was met with immediate excitement by his family, who were enjoying a holiday when his phone rang.

“I had roughly a week to think about everything from the first call (from Liverpool) to the signature I think,” Klopp recalled, having turned down other clubs immediately after leaving Dortmund in the summer.

“In that moment it was just Liverpool but it was kind of destiny because I didn’t want it. We were on a family holiday in Lisbon with the two boys, Ulla and I sitting there.

“Phone goes, my agent. Why is he calling? The boys look at my face (and mouthed Liverpool?) And both (went), ‘Yes!’”

I think we all owe Klopp’s family a thank you for cutting their holiday short!