Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has said that the only reason the club have not moved for the services of Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp is that the German has been under contract elsewhere when they have been looking for a new boss.
Klopp, now a Champions League and Premier League-winning manager, has often been linked with the Bayern hotseat, with the Bavarian side well known for poaching the best talent on and off the pitch from other clubs in the Bundesliga.
And despite Klopp's affiliation with Bayern's fierce rivals Borussia Dortmund, Rummenigge admitted that he is one of best coaches in Europe and that he might well have been an option for the Allianz Arena club had the timing been different in the past.
“Jurgen Klopp is a great coach and a very respectful person,” Rummenigge told Sport Bild. “He doesn't lord it over everyone or talk about what a great catch he is. He is, but he doesn't make a big deal about it.
“Whenever we've been looking for a coach, Jurgen was always under contract. But let's not forget that we have been blessed with other top coaches in recent years: Jupp Heynckes, Pep Guardiola, Louis van Gaal and now also Hansi Flick.
“When you're looking for a coach, the timing must be right.”
Fresh off the back of winning the Premier League, Klopp has earned himself icon status at Anfield and now faces the tough task of keeping the current European champions motivated for the seasons ahead.
With more glory being eyed by Reds fans, few would be happy if and when the day comes that Klopp is looking for a new adventure elsewhere. Having spoken about his plans in the past, however, the German insisted he has no idea what lies in store in the future.
“In the order which I'd like to do it: I want to coach the German national team, then Bayern Munich, then back to Dortmund and then Liverpool for life,” he joked.
“I really have no idea. I hope for now that the next two or three years will continue in the same way and then I'll decide. Everything is possible – maybe I'll just stop completely.”