Jurgen Klopp was in the stands to support former club Dortmund in their Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid, turning down “a fortune” to do so.
Klopp made his first appearance since departing Liverpool on Saturday as he attended the Champions League final at Wembley.
The former Reds manager was spotted in the stands and given a warm reception from Dortmund supporters, before joining a rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone pre-match.
His presence was expected, but Klopp did receive other offers for work at the Champions League final – including “a fortune” to serve as a TV pundit.
That is according to LFCTV commentator and UEFA media advisor John Bradley, who relayed a story he was told via his personal Twitter account.
Heard a lovely tale about Jurgen Klopp at weekend. Offered a fortune to do TV for UCL final but turned it down. Was given the opportunity to be part of UEFA VVIP’s….his response ‘Eden Terzic was always there to support my Dortmund, so I’m going as a fan to support his Dortmund’
— John Bradley (@jbradleymedia) June 3, 2024
The broadcaster added that Klopp was offered a place among UEFA’s ‘VVIPs’ for the night, but preferred his place in a box behind the fans alongside his family.
Bradley explained: “His response [was] ‘Edin Terzic was always there to support my Dortmund, so I’m going as a fan to support his Dortmund’.”
Dortmund boss Terzic is a lifelong supporter, and along with holding a number of roles with the club including as youth coach during Klopp’s time in charge, he has regularly followed as a fan.
That included for the 2013 final at Wembley that saw Klopp’s Dortmund fall to a narrow 2-1 defeat to Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich.
• READ: Selfies, singing YNWA and Ulla! – Klopp’s night at the Champions League final
Klopp backed up his words with a post to his Instagram story before kickoff, writing: “Tonight I am a fan!”
The 56-year-old plans to spend his time out of work travelling with his family, for whom he is building a house on the Spanish island of Majorca, as well as simply enjoying football again.
“I will come and watch games, and if whoever is the next manager [of Liverpool] doesn’t like having me in the stands, this time, I couldn’t be bothered,” he explained last month.
“I don’t think he will, but it was always a bit [like that] when I was at Mainz – and I was at Dortmund at that time anyway, you don’t go as a Dortmund manager to watch Mainz games.
“Then I was at Dortmund and came to Liverpool, had no time to go to Dortmund – so I will go there and watch football games [too].”
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