Jurgen Klopp explains two reasons he didn’t want to make Liverpool return | Football | Sport
Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has revealed the two reasons behind his choice not to return to Anfield following the conclusion of his tenure at the club. The German manager was back on Merseyside for this weekend’s charity match between Liverpool Legends and Borussia Dortmund Legends, which ended 2-2. Klopp stepped back into the dugout, working as assistant to club legend Kenny Dalglish for the fixture, with Thiago Alcantara and Jay Spearing scoring for the Reds.
Nevertheless, with Arne Slot facing scrutiny, there are numerous supporters who would welcome the German’s comeback. He has previously stated a return to Anfield as boss is not out of the question, though the likelihood of him doing it in the near future is slim. Klopp admitted he was hesitant to jinx Liverpool‘s Premier League title triumph last season by returning to the club, and was eager to prevent any undue pressure surrounding his comeback.
Speaking about his return to Merseyside at this weekend’s charity fixture, the 58-year-old said: “When I left here I didn’t know how often I would come back. First year I didn’t want to jinx it, now I didn’t want to create wrong expectations or whatever.
“There’s always a reason not to, but this was great. There was no doubt that I had to come to support the foundation, and that’s why we are here.
“And the nice thing is that we play a game at Anfield against my other old club, which is really nice.”
He added: “It’s just nice, being here, having absolutely no pressure, no intensity, just here to enjoy the atmosphere and I can’t wait.
“More than 60,000 people here this afternoon which is completely ridiculous. And I hope the players can entertain in a different way, a little bit.”
Klopp has repeatedly been linked with a return to the club, with pressure intensifying on Slot throughout this campaign.
The German presently occupies the role of Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull GmbH and has also been suggested as a contender for managerial positions at Real Madrid and PSG.
Speaking at the Magenta TV World Cup team presentation in Munich, Klopp rejected any rumours concerning a switch to the Bernabeu, declaring: “If Real Madrid had phoned, we would have heard about it by now, but that’s all nonsense.
“They haven’t called even once, not once. My agent is there, you can ask him. They haven’t called him either. Right now I’m not thinking about that, luckily there’s no reason to.
“For my age, I’m quite advanced in life, but as a coach I’m not completely finished. I haven’t reached retirement age. Who knows what will happen in the coming years? But there’s nothing planned.”
