Welcome to a new series of articles from Last Word on Football. During the coming days and weeks, we will be looking back at some of the historical moments in football and asking “What if?” Today, we ask what if Jurgen Klopp took charge of Bayern Munich in 2008.
What If Klopp Became Bayern Munich Coach
Jurgen Klopp to Bayern Munich
Jürgen Klopp is now in the world’s elite circle of coaches and managers. In 2008, he was finishing his stint as Mainz 05 boss. He had spent almost all his playing career there and was viewed as one of the great up-and-coming young coaches.
What Really Happened
Klopp started to fulfil his great potential after he moved to Borussia Dortmund. That club, which had won the Champions League just over a decade earlier, were at a point just recovering from the financial turmoil caused by the megalomania that had befallen the front office after that continental success.
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Dortmund barely avoided bankruptcy in the middle of the first decade of the new millennium. After having made drastic changes on and off the pitch, they brought in the young Klopp in the summer of 2008. By 2011, the Black and Yellows won the Bundesliga and defended their title the following year while winning the German Cup. Since 2015, he has worked his magic at Liverpool, winning several domestic and international honours.
It Could Have Been So Different
It could have gone so differently – had he joined Bayern in 2008. The deal was very much on after Bayern coach Ottmar Hizfeld had left the club to join the Swiss national team. The financial manager, Uli Hoeness, favoured Klopp until club CEO Karl Heinz Rummenigge ultimately had the idea of bringing in Jürgen Klinsmann instead.
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Of course, this is something that Rummenigge will likely regret for the rest of his days, as he has even admitted publicly.
What If Klopp Joined Bayern Munich
There is no way of knowing how Klopp would have fared at Bayern Munich had he become their coach in 2008, especially given how quickly the Bavarians discard even top-level coaches. But seeing how Klinsmann did not last a season at the time and how unsuccessful his coaching career has been since then, along with Klopp’s greatness at both Dortmund and Liverpool, one does wonder what might have been. It is now unlikely that Klopp will ever join Bayern Munich coach since his career has taken a different turn, but back in 2008, it seemed plausible.
