Klopp is a former coach of Liverpool
Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has revealed he once turned down the chance to manage Manchester United, explaining that he decided the job was “not for me” after discussions that left him unimpressed with the club’s direction.
Speaking on the Diary of a CEO podcast, Klopp confirmed that United approached him in 2013, the same year Sir Alex Ferguson retired, but he declined after sensing that their football vision did not align with his own.
“Yes, I spoke to them [Manchester United],” Klopp said. “In the year when Sir Alex Ferguson retired, they spoke to me. Of course they were interested.”
At the time, Klopp was managing Borussia Dortmund, one of Europe’s most exciting young sides, having led them to back-to-back Bundesliga titles and a Champions League final.
Despite United’s interest, he felt it was not the right moment, nor the right project.
“At one point, at that time, I would have been interested. I was young, I had a sensational team at Dortmund, my God. They probably thought, ‘what is he doing there?’
“They tried. It was the wrong time, wrong moment. I had a contract at Dortmund and wouldn’t have left, not really for nobody at that time,” he said.
Klopp also hinted that the tone of United’s pitch put him off, saying the club’s focus on attracting superstar names didn’t match his philosophy of building a team through identity and development.
“There are some reasons [why I didn’t take the job]. The people in that conversation told me [things] which I didn’t like. United was that big, ‘we get all the players we want. We get him, we get him, we get him, we get him,’ and I was sitting there, it was not my project,” he added.
Klopp would go on to join Liverpool two years later in 2015, ushering in one of the most successful eras in the club’s history, winning the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup among several other honours before stepping down in 2024.
🎙️ | Jurgen Klopp reveals he rejected United in 2013 due to the size and plans that the club had 🤔
“There are some reasons [why I didn’t join].
“The people in that conversation told me [things] I didn’t like. So United was that big, we get all the players we want, and I was… pic.twitter.com/cZNUudtNh9
— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) October 20, 2025
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