'Kloppo is back': Jürgen Klopp prepares for emotional return to the dugout for first time since leaving Liverpool
Jürgen Klopp is scheduled to return as coach in September for an exhibition match with his former club Borussia Dortmund.
The German returns to his home country to sit on the bench for the first time since leaving the team. Liverpool at the end of last season.
Klopp He cited exhaustion as the reason for his decision to end his eight-year tenure in charge at Anfield, with the 57-year-old saying he was looking forward to taking a break from the game and living a normal life worthy of the “Normal”.
He will return to football sooner than expected, although it seems that it will only be for a single match in Dortmund.
Klopp will return to the dugout for a tribute match in September to former BVB duo Lukasz Piszczek and Jakub Blaszczykowski.
Both Poles played most of their careers at Dortmund. Piszczek retired at the end of last season to become the club's assistant coach, while Blaszczykowski hung up his boots in 2023 and is now co-owner of former club Wisla Krakow.
The popular coach coached both players during his time in charge of Dortmund, where he led the team to two Bundesliga titles between 2008 and 2015.
And he has agreed to take part in his official farewell match at Signal Iduna Park on 7 September, revealing the news in a video posted on Dortmund's Instagram account.
In the video, Piszczek and Blaszczykowski can be seen discussing the match and their need for a coach to lead the team, before deciding to call the “retired coach.”
Klopp, who has been holidaying in Mallorca after buying a villa on the Spanish island, then appears on screen wearing sunglasses and laughing, a sound Reds fans will surely enjoy hearing again.
“You finally have your farewell match,” says Klopp.
“My God. And you want to train before the game. Are you stupid?”
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The players then asked Klopp which team he would like to manage for the tribute, to which he replied with a laugh: “I couldn't care less!
“I do it like before, I start thinking about it five minutes before.
“Did the game sell out? I would buy a ticket if I wasn’t going anyway!”
As it turns out, Klopp has chosen his side, with the former Liverpool manager taking charge of Kuba's (Blaszczykowski) All-Stars team, while the two Poles face off in teams made up of some of their former team-mates.
Among those who have confirmed their participation in the match after Nuri Sahin are former Dortmund and Liverpool midfielder and current BVB coach Sebastian Kehl, former midfielder and club sporting director and Dortmund hero Marcel Schmelzer.
Dortmund signed the video with the slogan “Kloppo ist dabei”, which translates as “Kloppo is back”.
The entire video is in German, but that won't matter to Liverpool fans missing their former boss as just the sound of his voice, his laugh and the sight of his pearly white smile will likely bring them comfort as they head into a new era without him.
And, who knows, maybe he'll return to Anfield at some point in the near future.
