Jurgen Klopp Breaks Silence on Shocking Managerial Comeback: 'I Was Absolutely Certain'
Ex-Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp acknowledged that he's doubtful about returning to manage any team but couldn't guarantee he'd feel the same way several years down the line.
The respected coach concluded an almost nine-year tenure on Merseyside during summer 2024, explaining his exhaustion following over twenty years of nearly continuous managerial roles at Mainz, Borussia Dortmund, and subsequently Liverpool.
Klopp never declared his retirement, though his role as Red Bull's worldwide soccer director came as somewhat unexpected. The Champions League-winning manager has been consistently connected to various elite positions, particularly last April when speculation suggested he might succeed Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid.
That improbable situation never materialized, and Klopp has attempted to dismiss any future rumors early on. "I have no desire to work as a manager anymore," Klopp decisively stated to The Athletic. When questioned about the absolute nature of his declaration, the German left himself some flexibility.
"That's my current thinking," he explained. "But one never knows. I'm 58 years old. If I returned at 65, everyone would say, 'You claimed you'd never do it again!' Well, sorry, I believed it completely (when I said it)! That's my present mindset. I don't feel I'm missing anything."
Looking back on his choice to resign—which was revealed to general shock in January 2024—Klopp detailed: "I departed Liverpool at 57. I was completely convinced and confident that I wouldn't stop working entirely. I took a seven-month break or thereabouts. I loved it—incredible!"
"The idea wasn't that I would continue this until my life's end," Klopp clarified. He committed to going "25 years at maximum intensity without glancing sideways" when he accepted his initial management position at Mainz in 2001.
"I missed nothing in my existence because I never considered it. So throughout nearly 25 years, I attended two weddings—one was my own and the other occurred two months ago. In 25 years, I've visited the cinema four times—all within the past eight weeks. It's wonderful to have that opportunity now.
"I traveled to numerous countries as a manager and saw nothing of them; only the hotel, the stadium, or the training facility. Nothing beyond that. I didn't miss it then, but I would now."
Klopp Takes Subtle Jab at Man Utd
Nearly eighteen months have passed since Klopp last faced Manchester United, yet the animosity toward Liverpool's traditional northern adversaries remains strong.
In his position as Red Bull's ambiguous football consultant, Klopp supervises activities at numerous clubs, ranging from Bundesliga team RB Leipzig and Austrian powerhouse FC Salzburg to newly promoted French club Paris FC. Player acquisition focuses on eventually selling these talents for higher prices—a strategy Klopp utilized at Liverpool when purchasing players like Ibrahima Konaté, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Naby Keïta.
"We aren't the ultimate destination," Klopp clarified. "We're not Liverpool... or historically Man Utd!" he remarked with a robust laugh. "Feel free to include that if you wish."
Klopp would have indirectly encountered United during the summer transfer period. The highly experienced professional disclosed that he was "engaged significantly" with RB Leipzig's transfer activities this year, most notably Benjamin Šeško's move to Manchester United for a fee potentially reaching €85 million (£74.2 million, $99.7 million).