Five eye-opening Jurgen Klopp comments including spiky Florian Wirtz remark and Man Utd joke

The German talked extensively about his time as Liverpool manager, including insight into his public fallout with Mohamed Salah and the time he turned down Manchester United

Jurgen Klopp has spoken openly about his managerial career while reminiscing on some interesting moments from the world of football during a podcast appearance on The Diary of a CEO. The former Liverpool boss left Anfield last summer after nine remarkable years, during which he won eight major titles, including the Premier League, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and FA Cup.

At the time, Klopp explained that exhaustion was a key factor in his decision but accepted a role with Red Bull as their Global Head of Soccer at the start of this year. Most recently, the German has taken on another position with the German Football League.

Over a year since his departure from Merseyside, Klopp has already made his future plans clear, admitting he does not miss coaching. Nonetheless, The Mirror has taken a closer look at some of his moments and experiences as a manager during his conversation with Steven Bartlett on The Diary of a CEO podcast.

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Here are five eye-opening comments from Klopp that have stood out.

How Klopp treated players differently

Every manager has a unique approach to coaching, and while some have followed different paths in their careers, Klopp explained his own method.

“In all the other moments, they have to be themselves, they have [to be themselves], so treat them like that. So, my number one thing is to lead yourself – that’s the first one,” he began when discussing player treatment. “In the morning, you have to get up and kick your own butt and say ‘come on.’ Then the people you lead, you need to understand [how] to do it properly, so that means you’ll talk to them, you’ll listen to them.

“You’ll ask where they’re from, what’s your background, what are we doing here, there, and why did you do that? Stuff like this. It means already in that conversation it’s clear, it’s different to the other guy. It’s not about the rules, like punctuality, early in, late out – it’s not about these kinds of things, but how can we get the best out of people if we treat them all the same?

“It’s crazy. I don’t think it’s like that but I’ve only worked in this football business so maybe it’s just working here. For me, it’s super important that you really pick an individual from where it stands, not from where you want them to be.”

When asked about which two players he treated differently based on their origin, Klopp would make it clear that senior players like James Milner would help younger stars integrate into the team.

The German added: “As an example, so Trent Alexander-Arnold comes up to the first team, then James Milner is already 31 or whatever. So James makes it clear, first and foremost that Trent doesn’t go crazy [and get overwhelmed], because he’s seen all these kind of things, but there’s so many things, just as an example, James doesn’t have to do this and that because you know, he’s doing it anyway.

“So for Trent, you still have to educate the boy. This example which you probably didn’t think of, explains how they different they are at their age groups, one is 16, 17 and the other is 33 so that shows already that’s not possible.

“So, you are talking about rules in football that everybody has to work hard, everybody has to do it. In my game, everybody has to defend the s*** of the opposition team. Everybody has to buy into that. I always said if you’re not Lionel Messi, you have to defend.

“But then, to get there, and really grow together as a group. In a group, everybody accepts they are different, and just because we have the same shirt, we all have our own qualities so to bring them to life or let them shine, you have to get treated in the right way and that’s what I love to figure out, how is that possible.”

Public row with Salah

Klopp and Salah appeared to have a ‘heated’ touchline exchange during a match with West Ham in April 2024. However, the 58-year-old described the incident as not a ‘real big thing.’

“We had this one argument I think with Mo at West Ham at the sideline when he didn’t start, I brought him on and he was not happy,” Klopp explained. “Our problems then are always in public, that was not a real, big thing, but in the moment, we didn’t agree definitely.

“So, how you deal with that the next day, I think I can say we have a very good relationship today, even though on that day, it didn’t look like it. So you learn, you try to do it the right way and show players respect but at one point, it’s never enough and you have to accept that as well, because the players, they grow, they get bigger and bigger and at one point, you hear years later – he never spoke to me, another player says about a former coach, about me, [or] Jose Mourinho.

“I always tried that when we had arguments [with players], we always found a way out and it never got carried into the team that I lost [their] respect, they [never] lost respect for me because I act that way. We always stayed together, we always found a way that they understood.”

Man United rejection

Back in 2013, Manchester United were preparing for life after Sir Alex Ferguson and had contacted Klopp regarding the managerial role. But after talks, the German decided it was not the right project for him.

“I spoke to them. So in the year when Sir Alex retired, they spoke to me, yeah, yeah, of course, they were interested at one point,” Klopp said. “At that time, I would have been interested, I was young, I had a sensational team at Dortmund, my God. Somebody, they probably thought, what is he doing there?

“They tried [to pursue it]. It was the wrong time, wrong moment for me. I had a contract at Dortmund, I wouldn’t have left, not really for nobody at that time. They just needed a manager but the manager they wanted in that case, it was one of a few options I think.

So was it you that turned down Manchester United? “Yeah, that way,” Klopp revealed. “He’s not there the guy who negotiated that, it was long ago, long ago.”

Why wouldn’t you take that job? “This is typical because we are not in a private space. There are some reasons but the people in that conversation told me, which I didn’t like. So United was that big, we get all the players we want, we get him, we get him, we get him and I was sitting there. So it was not my project, it didn’t feel like it. It was the wrong time but on top of that, it was not my project.

“I didn’t want to bring back, [Paul] Pogba, my God he is a sensational player but these things, don’t work usually. Or Cristiano [Ronaldo], my God, we all know he’s the best player or together with Messi as the best players in the world. But bringing back, never helps. In that time, in 2013, it was obviously not about Cristiano, but it was just the idea of bringing the best players together and then let’s go.

It wasn’t about the football? “No, not at all. And I sat there and was like ‘nah, I’m not sure. That’s not for me.’ And then, the pure, pure football project comes up with Liverpool.”

Man United joke

United are still a long way from where they were under Sir Ferguson, but Bartlett – a Manchester United fan – has complete faith in the new team working behind the scenes.

Bartlett said: “I fully believe in Ruben Amorim, I think he’s a man who’s focused on culture and I like how honest he is. I think the people they have around them, with people like Jason Wilcox and Ineos, who I’ve met, and all the others who are there, I think we’ve never been in a better place. I personally feel like that because I just think they’re aiming for more long-term things.”

Klopp responded: “The only problem is you have no clue about football but besides that, good on you.”

Florian Wirtz Liverpool verdict

Klopp sees huge potential in Florian Wirtz despite his challenging start at Liverpool and has suggested that the 22-year-old will prove his doubters wrong.

“You all will eat your words if you use the wrong words with Florian Wirtz,” the former Reds boss said. “He’s an incredible talent and player.”

Darwin Nunez relationship

The relationship between Klopp and Darwin Nunez has had its ups and downs over the years, with the German admitting that the player’s lack of game time and form may have contributed. However, he also implied that there are no regrets over signing him.

“We had an absolutely good relationship, as good as it can be with a striker who is not scoring as often as he wants, as the people want and as I think he could have,” he stated. “With a striker who didn’t play as often as definitely he wants, so how can you have a fantastic relationship?

“If he would have stood there and be the number one and jumping after me, crying his eyes out and hugging me for 10 minutes, I would be like ‘okay, what’s going on here?’ Completely normal situation. My first concern cannot to please everybody, it’s just not possible.

“It’s not possible in that job. The first problem starts with 25 players, 11 starting positions. So, more players are not happy than you make happy, that’s already where the problem starts. You have to get through this and I’m pretty sure he had super moments at Liverpool.

“We had super moments together and on my last day, if I was him, I would have thought as well, ‘okay, come on, the next one is a new chance for me’ because players do that. If it goes really well for them, it’s not that they think that it’s thanks to the coach.

“If it’s not going well, they think, ‘he doesn’t bring me on enough, it’s not my fault,’ but we are humans, we are all the same. So it’s not that they are special in that moment and some of them think, ‘I have to do more, in week one, two and three and three weeks more, he’s still not picking me,’ you cannot always have harmony and flowers and all these kind of things.

“It’s a competitive environment and you have to perform to get what you think you deserve.”

Did you decide you wanted to sign Darwin? “[We] Decided all together, involved in that process,” Klopp replied.

“And yes, that’s how it is nowadays, we would have loved to sign him for lesser money, of course, but in that moment it was not possible and we needed a striker.

“We only wanted to have an extra option for striker, we had Bobby [Firmino], the best false nine in the world, and now we needed somebody with a bit more speed and more action. Of course we all signed him together and I have no problem to admit.

“Maybe it didn’t work out as good as it could but without Darwin Nunez, so many things wouldn’t have happened. The biggest comeback of all times at Newcastle, for example. I love that day. I love that day.”