Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says Bayern Munich never contacted him about becoming their next coach because it would have been “complicated” to buy out his contract.
The German champions have already hired Niko Kovac as their manager for next season to replace the retiring Jupp Heynckes.
Klopp, who guided Borussia Dortmund to the league title in 2011 and 2012, was the last manager to prevent Bayern from winning the Bundesliga.
But after finding subsequent success at Liverpool, Klopp told Sky Germany that Bayern never offered him the position.
“It’s a fact that I never had any release clauses in my contracts,” Klopp said. “If Bayern would have indeed been interested, independent of any decision I’d have made, it would have been a complicated transfer because I am under contract here for four more years, and Liverpool are not exactly unhappy with me. That’s why it makes total sense, they didn’t ask in the first place.”
Klopp also spoke about his future plans and said he doesn’t plan to be coaching into his 70s like Heynckes, and that if he ever does leave Anfield, he will not immediately seek a new job.
“I can’t rule out that I will call it a day way before other coaches usually stop,” Klopp said. “I feel that it’s super intense, and I am not planning to die on the bench.
“I will definitely take a year off after Liverpool. That’s a clear agreement I have with my family. And from today’s point of view, I can’t rule out that I then say: ‘Well, that was a lot of fun…’”
But one prospect that holds no appeal for the 50-year-old would be a return to manage Dortmund, though he did leave the door open for other roles.
“I really don’t want to return because the time I had was good,” he said. “I had a world-class time at Mainz and Dortmund. And it looks like I’ll return there one day, but it does not have to be as a coach.”
The Liverpool boss also defended the play of Mario Gotze, who rose to stardom under his guidance at Dortmund but since has come under fire for failing to leave up to his potential.
“It was decided back then that he’d join Bayern Munich,” Klopp said. “Not only by Mario, but also by his family and Bayern, too. But it just didn’t fit.
“Mario’s back to his best fitness now. Normality is what he needs now. Mario Gotze is not one jot worse as a footballer than he was a young player.”
ESPN FC’s Germany correspondent Stephen Uersfeld contributed to this report.
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