Because of Ronaldo, Coach Jurgen Klopp made a surprising decision regarding Manchester United

Jurgen Klopp attracted attention by revealing why he once declined Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson's era, despite being promised "any player he wanted."

In a recent interview with the YouTube channel The Diary Of A CEO, Coach Jurgen Klopp shared a lesser-known story about the time he was approached by Manchester United to take over as manager right after Sir Alex Ferguson retired. At that time, many believed the German tactician was the perfect candidate to continue Sir Alex's legendary legacy. However, Klopp turned down the offer, and now he has disclosed the reason behind this important decision.

“Because during the meeting, they told me things I didn’t like: ‘We will bring in every player you want… we will buy this one, then that one, and also that guy…’. And I sat there thinking, well, this kind of project isn’t for me,” Klopp recalled.

According to Klopp, what Man United proposed back then was not strategic but focused only on star signings. “I didn’t want to bring Paul Pogba back! That wouldn’t work! I also didn’t want to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back; that wouldn’t help at all!” - the German coach emphasized.

Jurgen Klopp believed that Manchester United’s approach at that time reflected a mindset completely different from the football philosophy he always pursued. “Their idea was to bring the best players to the club, but they never talked about football. And then a real football project appeared: Liverpool FC.”

When accepting the Liverpool job, Klopp focused on building a team based on collective spirit, discipline, and daily improvement. Within just a few years, he led the Anfield club to Champions League and Premier League titles, restoring the “Reds”’ stature on the European football map. This story highlights the contrast between two eras: one where Manchester United sought to return through buying players, and the other where Liverpool remained committed to a pure football development philosophy.

Looking back now, many Manchester United fans regret that Klopp chose Anfield over Old Trafford. If the German coach had agreed to manage the Red Devils back then, would English football history have taken a completely different path?