11/24/2014

Klopp open to managing in the Premier League and potential successor for Wenger 

Charismatic Borussia Dortmund manager Juergen Klopp is open to a move to the Premier League and has said managing in England would be the only logical step if he were to leave the German club.

Since taking over Dortmund in 2008 Klopp has transformed a side that finished a disappointing 13th the previous season into one of Europe's premier teams winning many admirers along the way.

The 47-year-old is now one the most revered managers on the continent having twice led Dortmund to Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012 as well as the Champions League final in 2013.

This season, however, Dortmund have won just three of their 11 Bundesliga games and sit 15th -- 17 points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

Klopp said in 2013 that he had turned down the approaches of a number of English clubs and he has long been touted as a potential successor for Arsenal's Arsene Wenger, with whom the German shares many managerial similarities.

Klopp said he had no reason to listen to their advances last year, but given Dortmund's faltering fortunes this season he would be open to holding talks.


"If somebody will call me, then we will talk about it," Klopp told BT Sport.

"I think it's the only country I think where I should work, next to Germany because it's the only country I know the language a little bit and I need the language for my work.

"When I came here I thought 'OK now I can work as a normal coach, two or three years -- next club, next city'. I'm really interested in life, it's not important for me to stay for a long time in the same place.

"My children are old enough to stay alone, that's not the problem. I am here for more than six years, I don't know when it will end, I don't think about this. But it's not my idea to build a legacy. We will see, as long as it's successful and we can develop everything, we shouldn't change."

Dortmund travel to Arsenal for a Champions League group stage match at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

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