Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp denies Bayern Munich link
Saturday 10 October 2015 13:11, UK
Jurgen Klopp said Liverpool was the only club he spoke to before taking up the Anfield role and dismissed previous speculation linking him with a move to Bayern Munich.
The new Reds boss gave his first press conference in the job on Friday where he labelled himself as the 'normal one'.
The 48-year-old then spoke to Sky Sports in Germany where he insisted he never spoke to the Bavarian club and said he hopes former rival in the dugout Pep Guardiola stays at the Allianz Arena for the next decade.
"No, actually I don't know anything about that and this is not relevant to me," he said.
"Bayern is a fantastic club but I don't go on holidays and wait for someone to call me. I have done many things that I found interesting and exciting and I have used the time to meet loads of great people and I would have met many more.
"I never had a certain career plan and I can assure that I never talked to Bayern Munich. I also hope that Guardiola will stay there for another 10 years.
"I didn't want to train many clubs. Of course I had concrete offers but Liverpool is the only club I have actually spoken to."
Klopp admitted he was glad the first day of his Anfield reign was over given the media scrum surrounding his appointment.
He was warmly received at his maiden press conference at Liverpool where he spoke in English, which he does not think will prove to be a problem when communicating with his new players.
"Normally, I don't think about press conferences and go there and just say what has to be said," he said.
"This time I had to think about it a little bit, but I think it went well. This is, of course, not the most important appointment within the following years I will hopefully spend here, but of course I wouldn't completely ignore it. Important is the performance on the pitch and I am happy that the last two days are finally over.
"There won't be any problem with the players as there are also loads of foreign players. My English is probably as bad as theirs so they will understand me a lot easier.
"And also, as I am not a native speaker, I won't just start talking random stuff, because I will have to make an effort in order to be understood. It is not important to be fluent in a language. It is important to say the right words at the right time."
The former Mainz and Borussia Dortmund coach described himself as the 'normal one' when prodded for a soundbite as he met the English media for the first time and reiterated that stance again.
"There will be many people back in Germany questioning that sentence… But yes, that is how I am and it is quite important to me," Klopp said.
"Of course, the things at this club haven't been too catastrophic so far. The main thing is that the last years in total haven't been working out too well, even before Brendan Rodgers. And it was not easy for my colleagues here to show that they are on a good way. This is why the thirst for a change was so big and this is why they had to take the measurements they did.
"But this doesn't mean that I will arrive here and change everything in the first season saying from now on we will do it as we have done it so far.
"I am so keen on listening to the people here, getting to know them and getting used to everything. And after that I will ideally press the right buttons. I have already said that I don't see myself as almighty. I am far away from being 'the special one'."
Klopp said he fully appreciated the challenge that faced him at the club and was keen to once again make sure that people had the appropriate expectations regarding the task ahead.
"My respect [for this challenge] is so big that it takes my breath away but I am, of course, aware of the expectations. This is all part of football," he said.
"During the press conference I tried to make clear that the right expectations are able to change everything. If you have the right expectation everything will fall into place. Having the wrong one can prohibit this.
"There is a lot of pressure on Liverpool and I am aware of that difficulty. A very important reason why I have taken this job is because I am bent on taking this challenge and because I am keen on seeing what can be done and what cannot.
"I also fancied working abroad and I was up for a change. I am really, really happy here."
