Why Jurgen Klopp wouldn’t manage Man Utd or Real Madrid, according to Robbie Fowler
Robbie Fowler has claimed Jurgen Klopp previously turned down the chance to manage Manchester United because of the club’s preference to prioritise commercial interests above on-field results.
The highly revered German tactician recently celebrated four years in charge of Liverpool, whom he’s converted from a club on the fringes of the European elite to Premier League title contenders.
Klopp at Anfield: Five key things to know…
- Klopp joined Liverpool in October 2015.
- He’s gone on to oversee 221 matches, winning 130 games to date.
- Klopp secured Liverpool’s sixth European Cup in 2019.
- He could have joined Man Utd or Real Madrid after leaving Borussia Dortmund, according to Fowler.
- The former Liverpool striker says Klopp disliked those clubs because they “focused solely on commercial influences”.
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After their opening eight Premier League games this season Liverpool remain the only club in England’s top division with a 100% record. This, coupled with title rivals Manchester City uncharacteristically slipping up, has opened up an eight-point gap at the top of the championship.
Never before after the same period of matches has a team enjoyed such a lead and, understandably, the Reds are keeping their feet grounded as they know full well the situation could change fast. After the international break they visit arch-rivals Man Utd hoping to match City’s record of 18 consecutive Premier League games won.
However, according to club legend Fowler, things could have turned out differently. After he stepped down as Borussia Dortmund manager, where he secured back-to-back Bundesliga crowns, Klopp was a wanted man across Europe.
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Man Utd, who had recently lost decorated and legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson, were keen to acquire Klopp’s services, but the chances of him sitting in the Old Trafford dugout became slim after he learned of the club’s mindset, according to Fowler.
“I did an interview with him a couple of years ago and he told me he turned down a couple of super-rich clubs after (Borussia) Dortmund – one of them was definitely Manchester United, the other probably Real Madrid – because he hated how they were focused solely on commercial influences,” he wrote in the Daily Mirror.
“He said he liked Liverpool because they had a balance between the money needed to reach the top and the history and identity of the club and their fans.”
