Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool return confirmed as wife made thoughts on decision clear

Jurgen Klopp is set to return to Liverpool, having left the club in 2024 after nearly nine years in which he established himself as one of Anfield's greatest ever managers

Jurgen Klopp will return to Anfield soon(Image: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Jurgen Klopp is set to make a return to Anfield this month for a charity match against his other former club, Borussia Dortmund. Klopp will manage alongside Sir Kenny Dalglish during the March international break as the Liverpool Legends face off against BVB.

The match is intended to raise funds for the LFC Foundation, a charity that holds a special place in the German's heart. Since departing Anfield in 2024, Klopp has been actively involved as Red Bull's head of global football and has been seen at various sporting events worldwide.

Liverpool didn't let up in its quest for success after Klopp's departure, with Arne Slot stepping in and clinching the Premier League title in his inaugural season. However, the 2025/26 campaign has painted a different picture at Anfield.

A dip in league performance, coupled with some shaky results in Europe - despite the Reds advancing to the Champions League quarter-finals - and an early Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Crystal Palace have put the Dutchman under scrutiny.

There have been sporadic calls for Klopp to return to the helm to stabilize the situation. Whilst this seems highly improbable, the German hasn't entirely dismissed the possibility in the future, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Klopp's return to Anfield

Klopp will be making his much-anticipated return to the Anfield dugout on March 28. However, he will solely be overseeing a charity fixture against Borussia Dortmund in an effort to generate funds for the LFC Foundation.

The Liverpool Legends will face Dortmund in a match featuring club icons Steven Gerrard and Sir Kenny Dalglish. Klopp continues to support the official charity as an honorary ambassador and will take charge of the Reds alongside Dalglish during the March international break.

Klopp has outlined his demands in order to make a Liverpool comeback(Image: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)

Discussing the upcoming fixture, the German said: "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. 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."

Demands outlined

Should Klopp make a return to management at any stage, he has made clear that he would seek a club with football at the core of its ethos. This was the primary factor behind his initial decision to join Liverpool in 2015 following discussions with other teams that placed greater emphasis on the commercial side of the sport.

Manchester United and Real Madrid are amongst the clubs to have shown interest in the German prior to his move to the Reds. Reflecting in 2018 on what persuaded him to relocate to England, the 58-year-old said: "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.'"

Since departing Anfield, Klopp has also confirmed he would not manage another club in England. Intriguingly, however, he didn't entirely dismiss a potential return to the Reds in the future.

Speaking in 2024, he added: "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.

"I couldn't. I couldn't for a second think about it. There's no chance. This is part of my life, we are part of the family, we feel at home here. There's no chance to do that."

When questioned last year if he would ever return to Liverpool, Klopp said: "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's thoughts on Liverpool decision

Throughout his tenure at Liverpool, Klopp consistently involved his wife Ulla Sandrock in his decision-making process and it's likely she'll be consulted on any future career moves. The former Reds boss tied the knot with Sandrock in 2005, during his time at Mainz, and they've maintained a strong partnership throughout his managerial career.

Indeed, Klopp's wife was instrumental in persuading him to extend his contract with the club until 2026 back in 2022. Despite his premature departure, Klopp stated at the time: "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 almost convinced Klopp to stay in the first place(Image: Gisela Schober/Getty Images)

Although Klopp did eventually part ways with Liverpool, Sandrock's involvement in the local community had a significant impact - particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. She made a generous donation to Formby Community Football Club during the 2020 lockdown.

It was also reported that around the same time, Klopp's wife distributed £1,000 worth of food vouchers to supermarket employees. This gesture was reportedly a token of appreciation for those who had taken care of her, and a Waitrose staff member expressed their gratitude.

They said: "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."