Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp Reveals Why He Snubbed Man Utd Interest in Favour of Reds
Jurgen Klopp has revealed off field arrangements that detracted from football and the ability to be himself were key reasons why he snubbed Manchester United in favour of Liverpool.
The German was not short of suitors after calling time on his spell with Borussia Dortmund in 2015, and despite insisting that he was set to take a year long sabbatical the 50-year-old answered the Reds' call after Liverpool parted ways with Brendan Rodgers.
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However, United were known to have made an approach for Klopp in 2014 after David Moyes was axed, but Klopp turned down the offer and instead went on to take the helm at Anfield not long after, and is currently on the cusp of steering the club to their sixth European Cup.
Ahead of the Champions League showdown against Real Madrid on Saturday, Klopp spoke with Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler and revealed why the Red Devils never appealed to the football romantic side of him, unlike the Anfield outfit.
When asked about United's offer during an interview with Robbie Fowler, he told the Mirror of Liverpool: “I love the history. I really am a football romantic. I knew I probably can help. They maybe really need me, in this time. I know what I'm good at.
"When they told me about the problems they had I thought 'ok, yeah, I am probably the really right manager for that club'.
"I felt something special immediately when Mike Gordon called me. I was not ready, I thought it made sense that I had one year off. But I really knew, ok, that is one club that I can not say no to.
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"A little thing. Liverpool is a world class brand, big, big, big, but in Melwood, you know it Robbie, it is still a family, nothing else, and you can go in and feel that.
"I have to develop and improve, sure, but I don't want to go into the office in the morning to wear a tie. That is not me."
When pressed further, Klopp suggested other clubs who sounded out his interest were too focused on issues beyond the field of play.
He added: "I go in with a baseball cap and they still respect me, I don't have to act in a specific way. They took me like I am, they didn't ask me to do anything else, so I could focus from the first day completely on football.
"It is a football club. A football club. I had talks with other clubs and they didn't sound like a football club. It sounded like marketing, image, you need to sign this, you need to sign that. And I thought wow, that's not the game I love.
"It's all part of football, but it can not be the number one, two, three, four, priority. First of all please try to improve the game we play. And that's what I am good in. All the rest can happen but it's not so important for me."
