Jurgen Klopp has publicly acknowledged that he had the opportunity to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager in 2013 but chose not to take it.
Klopp was approached by United during Ferguson's final season, but he decided to stay loyal to Borussia Dortmund, where he was coaching at the time. Klopp explained that the timing was not right for him to leave Dortmund, citing the need to finish the season and complete his project there.
In his own words, Klopp mentioned in a podcast, "They tried. It was the wrong time, wrong moment. I had a contract at Dortmund and wouldn't have left, not really for nobody at that time. I could not leave Dortmund. You are in April and you are in the middle of the planning for next season. You have this
player and this player who are coming but then you are not there anymore? That doesn't work. Not in my life," reflecting his commitment and principles during that period.
He also revealed that the offer from United was presented as a big opportunity, but he was deterred by incomplete control over the club's football project and the way the discussions unfolded.
"United was that big - 'we get all the players we want,' and I was sitting there thinking it wasn't my project," he said.
Later, Klopp took the managerial role at Liverpool in 2015, where he has enjoyed widespread success, including Premier League and Champions League titles. Despite the speculation, Klopp emphasizes that he is currently happy with his role at Liverpool and has no immediate plans to return to manage Liverpool again, though he admits that it remains a theoretical possibility.
"I said I will never coach a different team in England so that means, if [I did return], then it's Liverpool. So, yeah, theoretically it is possible," Klopp said at the Diary of a CEO podcast.
