Jurgen Klopp could face Liverpool in Champions League this season after being linked with job no one saw coming

Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp could be set for a ‘new job’ as a huge European club is ‘preparing’ for when their current manager leaves.

Klopp, 57, left his role as Liverpool boss at the end of the 2023-24 following a successful nine-year tenure at the Merseyside club.

He guided the Reds to the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, Club World Cup, Super Cup and two League Cups during his time at Anfield.

But, performing at the highest level takes up so much energy, with Klopp citing this as part of the reason for bringing his Liverpool chapter to a close.

The German hit the headlines recently when he accepted the role of global head of Red Bull's football operations.

His new position will entail overseeing the company's network of clubs - including FC Red Bull Salzburg in Austria, RB Leipzig in Germany, the New York Red Bulls in the United States, Red Bull Brasil in Brazil and Red Bull Bragantino, also based in Brazil – from 1 January 2025.

It is still unclear when or even if Klopp will return to football in a coaching or managerial role, but reports from Spanish outlet Relevo have linked him with a shock return to the touchline.

The former Borussia Dortmund boss is “highly valued” by La Liga outfit Atletico Madrid, who are currently managed by Diego Simeone.

Simeone is thought to have ‘lost power’ at the club since director of football Carlos Bucero arrived ten months ago.

Atletico Madrid have been in mixed form (Credit:Getty)

The Argentinian has managed Atleti since 2011 but has failed to win a trophy since capturing the 2020-21 La Liga crown.

So far this season, the club from the Spanish capital have struggled to get over the line in games, having already drawn five of their 13 league outings despite a summer spend of around £170m on the likes of Conor Gallagher, Julian Alvarez, Robin Le Normand and forward Alexander Sørloth just to name a few,

Whether Klopp is open to talks remains to be seen, but the thought of managing a huge club may tempt the ex-Liverpool boss to return to management quicker than he would have anticipated.

Klopp, like Simeone, wears his heart on his sleeve and is a ‘man-manager’ who uses the energy of the crowd and his vibrant personality to influence his players on the pitch.

So, this could be a match made in heaven if the Argentine were to leave this summer – although his contract is set to run until June 2027, having signed a new three-year deal in November 2023.