Jurgen Klopp enjoyed an immensely successful spell as Liverpool manager, but things could have been so different had he accepted an offer to take over at Manchester United earlier
Jurgen Klopp could have taken the helm of Manchester United many moons ago if it wasn’t for the sage advice of his wife, Ulla Sandrock. The German mastermind will go down in the annals of history as one of Liverpool’s greatest-ever managers, leaving Anfield in 2024 with a Premier League and a Champions League to his name.
Yet he might’ve been in the United dugout if not for Ulla’s intervention, as Phil Thompson revealed an attempt to snatch Klopp for Old Trafford. The Liverpool legend, speaking to Norway’s TV2 in 2019, said: “I interviewed Klopp for Sky, and I asked if he and Liverpool were created for each other.
“He looked at me and asked, ‘Why?’ Then Klopp told me he could have taken over Manchester United, but his wife said it wasn’t right. When Liverpool arrived, his wife said it was right.
“There is something strange there. It is as if he’s created for Liverpool,” reports the Liverpool Echo. Meanwhile, Klopp himself has acknowledged past overtures from United as Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure winded to a close in 2013.
As per Sky Sports, Klopp said: “We spoke. We spoke not a lot but, for me, it was a lot. It was a big honour, the whole talk, to be honest.
“But I could not leave Dortmund. You are in April and you are in the middle of the planning for next season. You have this player and this player who are coming but then you are not there anymore? That doesn’t work.
“Not in my life. I didn’t hear about a real offer [from United] but, if there was, I could not have done it. I first had to finish the job with Dortmund and then think about other things.
“Maybe that is not smart but that is my way. It was the same at Mainz.” Klopp’s loyalty to Borussia Dortmund meant he passed up the chance to manage Manchester United, a decision that set him on a path to eventually take the helm at Liverpool.
With Klopp’s storied tenure at Dortmund yielding significant silverware, including two Bundesliga titles and three domestic cups, his career trajectory might have been vastly different had he opted for Old Trafford over Anfield. As United continue their search for post-Ferguson stability, now under the guidance of Ruben Amorim, they can only wonder what might have been if Klopp had chosen differently.
After taking over from Erik ten Hag in November, Amorim has struggled to make an impact with his inherited squad in the 2024/25 season, resulting in United’s lowest-ever Premier League finish after Sunday’s season finale against Aston Villa. In stark contrast, Liverpool are set to celebrate their second Premier League title since the league’s inception in 1992, after their own match against Crystal Palace at Anfield.
Arne Slot, who took over from Klopp ahead of the 2024/25 season, has orchestrated a sensational debut season with the Reds – clinching the league title with four games to spare back in April following a 5-1 demolition of Tottenham.
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
