Jurgen Klopp prepares for an emotional return to Anfield on March 28, stepping into the dugout for a charity match between Liverpool Legends and Borussia Dortmund Legends. The event supports the LFC Foundation, a cause close to the German’s heart. Klopp will manage alongside Sir Kenny Dalglish, while Steven Gerrard features on the pitch for the Reds.
Klopp’s Anfield Homecoming
As an honorary ambassador for the LFC Foundation, Klopp continues his commitment to the charity. The fixture falls during the March international break and promises a special atmosphere. Ahead of the game, Klopp shared his excitement: “I’m really proud to be an Ambassador for the LFC Foundation. It means a lot to me, honestly. To be back at Anfield for the Legends game, alongside Sir Kenny and his team, playing against the BVB legends, that is something special.”
He added: “It’s going to be a very emotional and special day for me, for the LFC Foundation and for everyone involved. I can’t wait and I really hope to see you all there.”
Current Liverpool Struggles and Return Speculation
Since Klopp’s departure in 2024, Liverpool thrived under Arne Slot, clinching the Premier League title in his first season. However, the 2025/26 campaign brings challenges, including poor domestic results, an early Carabao Cup exit to Crystal Palace, and mixed European showings despite reaching the Champions League quarter-finals. Some observers call for Klopp’s return to steady the ship, though it remains unlikely.
Strict Criteria for Future Role
Any potential return to management requires a club prioritizing football over commercial interests, a factor that drew Klopp to Liverpool in 2015. Reflecting on his move in 2018, he explained: “I love the history. I really am a football romantic. I knew I probably can help. They maybe really need me, in this time. I know what I’m good at. When they told me about the problems they had I thought, ‘OK, yeah, I am probably the really right manager for that club’. “
“They took me like I am, they didn’t ask me to do anything else, so I could focus from the first day completely on football. It is a football club. A football club. I had talks with other clubs and they didn’t sound like a football club. It sounded like marketing, image, you need to sign this, you need to sign that. And I thought, ‘Wow, that’s not the game I love.'”
Klopp has ruled out managing another English club, stating in 2024: “What I know definitely – I will never, ever manage a different club in England than Liverpool, 100 per cent. That’s not possible. My love for this club, my respect for the people, is too big.” Last year, he left the door slightly ajar for a Reds comeback: “I said I will never coach a different team in England so that means, if [I did return], then it’s Liverpool. So, yeah, theoretically it is possible.”
Wife Ulla’s Key Role in Decisions
Klopp’s wife, Ulla Sandrock, whom he married in 2005, influences major career choices. She helped convince him to extend his Liverpool contract to 2026 in 2022. Klopp recalled: “The most important contract I signed in my life was the one with Ulla. And that’s why it started again, because actually we sat at the kitchen table and Ulla said, ‘I can’t see us leaving in 2024.’ I said, ‘What?’ That’s how it all started and when that started I thought, ‘Let’s have a think.'”
Ulla’s community efforts shone during the Covid-19 pandemic. She donated to Formby Community Football Club in 2020 and provided £1,000 in food vouchers to supermarket staff. A Waitrose employee praised the gesture: “This was an incredible thing to do. Typically, Ulla didn’t want to make a fuss, or receive any recognition, and just wanted people working in shops to get the recognition they deserve.”
