He’d hoped they’d meet in the Europa League final, but Jurgen Klopp didn’t have the luck of the draw Friday.
Instead, the German will bump into old friends next month, after his Liverpool team was drawn against former club Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League quarterfinals.
“Dortmund, of course not. Why should I want the strongest team in the tournament in the next round?” said Klopp when asked if he would like to return to Dortmund following Liverpool’s victory over Manchester United Thursday.
Klopp will travel to the Westfalenstadion on April 7, with the return leg at Anfield on April 14.
Under the guidance of new coach Thomas Tuchel, Dortmund has excelled this season, playing free-flowing attacking football and firing 110 goals in all competitions — only Barcelona (141) have managed more.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been in especially scintillating form, scoring his 34th and 35th goals of the season in Dortmund’s Europa League 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur Thursday.
Only Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Cristiano Ronaldo have netted on more occasions, making the prolific Gabonese striker one of Europe’s most coveted players.
Klopp departed Dortmund in 2015 after eight years at the club which included two German League titles, one German Cup and two German Supercups, as well as a runner-up spot in the Champions League in 2013.
The charismatic Klopp spent five months out of the game before taking over at Liverpool in October 2015 and signing a three-year deal.
Tuchel’s and Klopp’s career paths have followed a similar trajectory to date, with both managing at Mainz 05 before taking over at Dortmund.
