Liverpool great Phil Philpson has revealed why Jurgen Klopp rejected the opportunity to manage Manchester United in 2013.
At the time, the German was in charge of a Borussia Dortmund team that had just led to consecutive Bundesliga titles.
The German was a great property and had quickly established himself as one of the most sought after coaches in world football.
And in an interview after the success of the Liverpool Premier League title on Thursday, Thompson spoke about how United attempted to bring Klopp in to oversee their new era after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
Before the now Sky Sports expert continued to claim the reason why Klopp chose not to move to Old Trafford, it was because his wife, Ulla, told him he was not well.
“I interviewed Klopp for Sky and asked him if he and Liverpool were created for each other,” Thompson told TV2 in Norway. “He looked at me and asked ‘Why?’
“Then Klopp told me that he could have taken over Manchester United, but his wife said it was not okay.”
“When Liverpool arrived, his wife said he was right. There is something strange there. It is as if it had been created for Liverpool.”
Liverpool’s 30-year wait for a league title finally ended on Thursday night when Manchester City were defeated 2-1 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
And speaking on Friday, Klopp revealed that he made an emotional phone call to his family as his team was seconds away from winning the Premier League title.
“I called my family 10 seconds before the final whistle,” said the Reds boss. “We had a FaceTime call.
“I told them I loved them, they told me they loved me. We can’t be together, that wasn’t nice, but that’s how it is.
“Then I put the phone on the table and said ‘leave it on, because in four or five seconds something special will happen’. That was a very pleasant moment, which I really enjoyed.
“All the other messages, I don’t want to compare right now. They were great, all filled with appreciation, respect, love, support, whatever.
“Maybe I should take this opportunity to apologize, I can’t answer them all, but I can read them all. That is what I will do in the next few days. “
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