Klopp Reveals How Dortmund Asked Him to Return in 2018

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Borussia Dortmund CEO Joachim Watzke tried to lure him back to Germany in the summer of 2018.

In a new biography about Watzke called ‘Real Love: A life with BVB’, Klopp says of a call he took in May 2018: “At some point my phone rang while I was on the plane and Aki was on it: 'Jurgen, you have to come back'. I laughed, I thought he was kidding.

“'Are you stupid, have you been drinking? How do you get that idea, I have a few more years in Liverpool'.

“I do not know how serious he was at that moment, but I realised that he wanted me to be more willing to respond.”

Watzke admits that he always expected Klopp to knock back his advances, with a coach who would go on to claim Champions League glory with Liverpool in 2018-19 tied to a deal with the Reds through to 2022.

“I knew that Jurgen would say no and that he would fulfil his contract in Liverpool,” Watzke said. “But if you want to go in a new direction, and we had to hit a new path at BVB at that point, then I had to at least ask Jurgen if it was a possibility. I did not expect it at all, but I would never have forgiven myself had I not at least asked him at that moment.”

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Lampard Equals 30-Year Away Win Record

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has continued a stellar start to his first season at the helm of the club to equal a record set 30 years ago. Chelsea overcame Watford 2-1 on Saturday thanks to goals by Tammy Abraham and Christian Pulisic to secure their seventh consecutive away win, tying the mark set by Bobby Campbell’s team in 1989. A controversial penalty awarded for a foul on Gerard Deulofeu by VAR, and converted by the same player, led to a tense final fifteen minutes but the London club saw the game out, moving ahead of Leicester, who play Crystal Palace on Sunday, into third place.

Man Utd : First Team to Score 2000 PL Goals

Scott McTominay’s opening goal for Manchester United against Norwich City has seen the Red Devils set a Premier League record as they reached 2000 goals in the division. The Scotland international midfielder scored midway through the first half to give his team the lead halfway through the first period in United’s Sunday evening visit to Carrow Road. The goal was the club’s 2000th in the Premier League, and they are the first club to pass that figure. They opened their account in the competition through Mark Hughes in August 1992. Andy Cole scored their 500th in the Premier League, during the most famous season of their storied history (1998-99). They reached 1,000 thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo in 2005. Dimitar Berbatov scored the 1,500th goal in United’s Premier League history six years after Ronaldo’s landmark strike.

La Liga: Levante Fightback to Beat Barcelona

LEV 3 - 1 BAR Goals: Campaña (61'), Mayoral (63'), Radoja (68') Messi (38' pen) La Liga leaders Barcelona conceded three goals in seven second-half minutes as Levante came from behind to defeat Ernesto Valverde's champions. Lionel Messi had put the visitors ahead with a 38th-minute penalty following Jorge Miramon's foul on Nelson Semedo. Jose Campana levelled for Levante after 60 minutes, before Borja Mayoral completed the turnaround two minutes later and Nemanja Radoja added a third. The video assistant referee then denied Messi as his side failed to respond. The Argentine appeared to have scored an excellent solo goal after a determined run, but Antoine Griezmann had strayed offside in the build-up.

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