Jurgen Klopp Hated How Sir Alex Treated ‘One of the Best Players in the World’ at Man Utd

Having retired from the world of administration in 2024, Jurgen Klopp is undoubtedly one of many best managers in trendy footballing historical past. After 11 years of taking part in for Mainz, Klopp retired as a participant in 2001 and instantly moved into administration with the membership, guiding them to the Bundesliga by 2004.

Klopp stored Mainz within the prime flight for 3 seasons, although after failing to win promotion with the membership following a relegation, the German resigned from his submit in 2008. Quickly after, Klopp joined Borussia Dortmund as their supervisor, with whom he really established himself on a much bigger stage.

The Dortmund squad inherited by Klopp was one which had completed mid-table within the season previous to his arrival. Regardless of having a younger staff and battling the dominance of Bayern Munich, Klopp received two successive Bundesliga titles with the membership in 2011 and 2012, the latter being a part of Dortmund’s first-ever home double.

In 2015, Liverpool selected Klopp, who had departed Dortmund on the 2014/15 season’s conclusion, to switch Brendan Rodgers. Klopp would spend 9 years at Anfield, by which time he returned Liverpool to a place of contending for main honours on a constant foundation, one thing that they had not accomplished for years.

On Merseyside, Klopp received all the pieces there was to win. He guided Liverpool to a few Champions League finals, successful the competitors in 2019, and was denied greater than the only real Premier League trophy he lifted in 2020 because of the brilliance of Manchester Metropolis, regardless of recording among the highest-ever factors tallies in prime flight historical past.

Additionally a winner of 1 FA Cup and two League Cups, Klopp departed Liverpool as a membership legend, having set the framework for Arne Slot to win the Premier League in his debut season. The German managed quite a lot of sensible gamers all through his profession and in 2013, as per The Mirror, spoke to The Guardian about how certainly one of his former skills was being handled at his new membership.

‘My Coronary heart Breaks’

Klopp didn’t maintain again when discussing former participant

With Dortmund, Klopp coached quite a lot of gamers that may get pleasure from unimaginable careers, together with, however not restricted to, the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Marco Reus, Ilkay Gundogan and Mats Hummels. One other such participant was Shinji Kagawa, who Klopp signed from Cerezo Osaka in 2010.

An attacking midfielder, Kagawa rapidly turned an integral a part of Dortmund’s first staff and had received two Bundesliga titles with the membership by the age of 23. In 2012, his kind and potential attracted the curiosity of English juggernauts Manchester United, who signed him forward of Sir Alex Ferguson’s ultimate season in cost.

Kagawa was a part of Man United’s title-winning staff in his first Premier League season, however struggled for constant minutes, one thing that evidently didn’t sit proper with Klopp, who mentioned:

Kagawa spent simply two years at Outdated Trafford earlier than returning to Dortmund in 2014, the place he would play for 5 additional seasons. On the time of writing, Kagawa is taking part in for his boyhood membership Cerezo Osaka, within the twilight years of his profession on the age of 36.

What Kagawa may have accomplished with the Pink Devils had he been given extra constant minutes will ceaselessly be a query, although it’s clear that Klopp felt the Japan worldwide had greater than sufficient high quality to be a first-team participant at one of many world’s greatest golf equipment.

(All stats are from Transfermarkt and are right as of 14/07/2025)