“Wrong Time, Wrong Project — Klopp Reveals Why He Said No To Man United”

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has shed light on why he turned down the opportunity to manage Manchester United before eventually taking charge at Anfield.

In a recent conversation on The Diary of a CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett, Klopp disclosed that Manchester United had approached him in 2013 while he was still at the helm of Borussia Dortmund.

According to Ireporter Online, the German tactician explained that although he was honoured by United’s interest, the offer did not align with his football principles, and the timing was far from ideal.

“United tried to approach me,” Klopp revealed. “It was the wrong time, the wrong moment. I was under contract with Dortmund and wouldn’t have left for anybody. They were looking for a new manager and I was one of the options.”

When asked to confirm whether he personally rejected the offer, Klopp responded affirmatively, adding that the discussions with the club made him realise it was not the right fit for him.

“There were certain things in the conversations that I didn’t like,” he admitted. “It was all about getting whoever they wanted — ‘we’ll buy this player, we’ll buy that one’ — and I thought, this isn’t my kind of project. It wasn’t just the wrong time, it wasn’t the right vision.”

Klopp remained with Borussia Dortmund before moving to Liverpool in 2015, where he orchestrated a historic transformation that saw the Reds reclaim their status among Europe’s football elite.

During his nine-year spell at Anfield, Klopp won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup, cementing his legacy as one of Liverpool’s greatest managers.

Although he stepped down from his role in the summer of 2024, the 57-year-old hinted that a return to English football is not entirely impossible.

“I once said I’d never coach another team in England — that means, theoretically, if it’s Liverpool, it could be possible,” Klopp noted. “Right now, I love what I’m doing. I don’t miss coaching — at least, not in the traditional sense.”

It was also gathered that Klopp currently serves as the Global Head of Soccer for Red Bull, overseeing football operations across the brand’s network of clubs.