Jurgen Klopp declined Manchester United’s offer.
KEY POINTS
Jurgen Klopp declined Manchester United’s offer in 2014 due to a lack of suitability, opting instead to wait for a more fitting chance.
Klopp expressed his belief that he was destined for Liverpool and was prepared to patiently await their invitation.
Robbie Fowler declined offers from Manchester United and other affluent teams due to his aversion to their emphasis on commercial influences.
Jurgen Klopp disclosed that he declined an offer from Manchester United in 2014 and elucidated his reasons for not seizing the opportunity to oversee the esteemed team. Undoubtedly, the German manager has guided Liverpool, the main competitors of the Red Devils, to triumph in both the Premier League and the Champions League throughout the course of his nine-year tenure.
After taking over from Brendan Rodgers in October 2015, the former Borussia Dortmund manager has officially announced that he will be leaving the Merseyside club at the conclusion of the 2023/24 season.
Since his arrival, the fortunes of both Liverpool and Manchester United have seen significant changes. Despite Manchester United still recovering from Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure two years earlier, they were still considered the most probable team to win the league trophy. As Klopp’s tenure in the Premier League nears its end, it is unfortunate that he has only won one championship in the league. In contrast, Manchester United has not even come close to competing for a crown.
While working with the Reds, Klopp has witnessed six different individuals assume leadership of the team he had the opportunity to join in 2014. These individuals are Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Michael Carrick, Ralf Ragnick, and Erik ten Hag. Given this, what was the reason for the German’s rejection of the opportunity?
The reason why Jurgen Klopp rejected the offer from Manchester United
If he had accepted, he would have replaced David Moyes.
Jürgen Klopp is the manager of Liverpool Football Club.
In the summer of 2014, nearly ten years ago, Liverpool showed little inclination to consider hiring any managers following their remarkable 2013/14 season under Brendan Rodgers. The current manager of Celtic, who was previously the manager of Liverpool, nearly missed out on winning the Premier League title. However, his team’s performance during the season was impressive enough for Rodgers to be awarded a long-term deal at the club.
However, United was actively searching for something different. David Moyes, also referred to as “the chosen one” at the time, was dismissed from his position as manager following a highly unsatisfactory endeavor to defend the league title that Sir Alex Ferguson had secured in his last season.
Their desire was to hire a renowned coach who could bring about significant changes. As per Klopp’s account, they made an approach to the leader of Borussia Dortmund at that time. He lacked interest, however. In a conversation with former Liverpool captain Phil Thompson for Sky Sports, Klopp clarified that he required a distinct factor to attract him.
When questioned about whether he believed he was destined to be a part of Liverpool, Klopp responded, “To be frank?” Affirmative. I am an ardent enthusiast of football. I possess a certain level of confidence, although it is not as high as that of other managers, who anticipate receiving calls from various clubs. Many clubs reached out, but I firmly declined, recognizing the necessity for a break at this time.
The EPL_Klopp 2015 team
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What was the fate of Jurgen Klopp’s inaugural Liverpool team?
Nevertheless, he was extremely transparent regarding his aspiration to oversee the club that he has currently guided for nearly nine years: “Even my spouse was aware that if Liverpool were to make an offer, I would accept it.”
United was among the clubs that approached the German in 2014. Klopp clarified: “Manchester United did express interest approximately a year or a year and a half ago, but it did not seem suitable.” I cannot deny that Manchester United is my club, but it did not feel appropriate.
Scarcely any managers would decline the chance to coach United, but Klopp’s refusal compelled United to search for other options. The manager who would emerge as the one with contrasting ideas to Klopp would be Louis van Gaal.
Rankings in the Premier League since Jurgen Klopp became the manager
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