After rejecting Manchester United, Klopp relented for the first time: If he becomes the coach of the Red Devils, these two superstars will never let him return

In the hearts of many fans, former Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp is not only one of the greatest coaches in modern Premier League football, but also in the history of the top league.

At the end of 2015, the German coach joined Anfield from Dortmund and eventually left as a Liverpool legend - leading the team to win the Champions League in the 2018/19 season, and the following year he won the Premier League championship and the European Super Cup, collecting multiple heavyweight trophies.

However, the story of the Red Army and their old rival Manchester United could have gone in another direction. Klopp turned down an offer from the Red Devils in 2013, two years before joining Liverpool.

In the 491 games he coached at Anfield, Klopp completed many top signings. Stars such as Salah and Van Dijk all grew into the world's top players under his command. Now the 58-year-old coach has admitted that if he had become Sir Alex Ferguson's successor, he would never have signed two former Manchester United stars.

Dislike Manchester United "You can sign whoever you want," Klopp: That's not my project

Talking about the reason for rejecting Manchester United, Klopp recalled in the podcast: "They did find me! But the timing was completely wrong at the time. I still had a contract with Dortmund, and no one would leave me at that time. And Manchester United just needed a coach, and I was probably just their backup. "

He further explained his core concerns: "There were other reasons for the rejection. What the people who communicated with them at the time said made me very uncomfortable. Manchester United had the attitude of 'we can sign whoever we want, we can get him, we want him, we can get it'. I sat there and thought, 'Well...' It's not my project at all, and it doesn't feel like it belongs to me at all. —— The timing was wrong for one thing, but more importantly, it wasn't the career I wanted in football. "

Not signing Cristiano Ronaldo and Pogba: "Second entry" is difficult to succeed, disgusted with the "stacked star" thinking

As to why he does not consider signing the two returning stars, Klopp said bluntly: "For example, I will never return Pogba - God, he is indeed an outstanding player, but this kind of 'second entry' operation usually does not succeed. And Cristiano Ronaldo, the whole world knows that he is a top player, and he can even be called the best in football with Messi. "

But he emphasized that the key lies not in the players themselves, but in Manchester United's team-building ideas: "But letting them return is never a wise move. Of course, in 2013, they may not actually be discussing C Ronaldo or Pogba, what I hate is the simple thinking of ‘putting the best players together will win’. "

Klopp admitted that it was this difference in philosophy that made him prefer Liverpool: "I felt at the time, 'Not sure, this is not what I want.' Later, Liverpool brought a pure football plan without exaggerated 'rich club talk'. Everyone saw the final result. That experience was really special. "

Contrast of fates: Cristiano Ronaldo and Pogba left Manchester United one after another, and Klopp led Liverpool to win another cup

Interestingly, in the summer of 2022, Pogba left Manchester United for the third time; just a few months later, Cristiano Ronaldo also bid farewell to Old Trafford for the second time in his career. In the same year, Klopp led Liverpool to win the FA Cup and EFL Cup championship trophies, continuing to write his own legend at Anfield.