There are times when, facing the media, Jurgen Klopp feigns ignorance. It can be an unwanted question or, on the other hand, a question he welcomes but wishes to give the impression it had never crossed his mind. But he was genuinely taken aback recently when, having sent shockwaves through the sport , it was mentioned to him that Sir Alex Ferguson once called notice on his time at Manchester United — only to change his mind and stay on for… just another 11 years, as it happened.
It becomes a closed loop rather than an open loop.” When Ferguson announced he would retire at the end of that 2001-02 season, one prominent football figure urged Manchester United to get rid of him immediately. In fairness to Lazio’s then-owner Sergio Cragnotti, he was still bruised by his experience with Sven-Goran Eriksson the previous season.