Jurgen Klopp returned to the dugout at Anfield for the first time since his exit at the end of the 2023/24 season, with the German managing the Liverpool FC Legends team
Kieran King Senior Sports Writer
17:35, 28 Mar 2026Updated 17:46, 28 Mar 2026
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp returned to Anfield on Saturday
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Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp returned to Anfield on Saturday(Image: Getty Images)
Jurgen Klopp fist pumped the Liverpool crowd on three occasions after his first game back in the Anfield dugout since leaving the Reds. Klopp, 58, took charge of LFC Legends as they went up against Borussia Dortmund in the club's annual charity match on Saturday afternoon.
In a game of two halves, the Reds stormed into a two-goal lead at half-time thanks to strikes from Thiago Alcantara and Jay Spearing. But Dortmund mounted a spirited comeback in the second half with Mohamed Zidan halving the deficit before Jan Koller later equalised to ensure a 2-2 draw.
And after the full-time whistle, Klopp, who has managed both Liverpool and Dortmund in his career, showed the Reds fans some love with three trademark fist pumps in front of the Kop.
Footage captured post-match showed Klopp walking around the pitch with the LFC Legends before stopping at the Kop to produce the fist pump the fans.
The German then did the same next to the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand and the Anfield Road Stand before making his way back down the tunnel to the dressing room.
Although LFC Legends were unable to win the game, Klopp enjoyed his return to Anfield in front of a 60,000 sell-out crowd. "It was good," he said. "Nothing really changed. I enjoyed every second.
"My role today was not to have a lot of words - I was here for the Foundation and be part of a really special experience after a while, seeing all the Liverpool and Dortmund lads, you don't meet very often. Today it was really nice. The people suck it in. It was so nice to see the boys playing. Thiago alone was worth the ticket!"
When asked if Klopp is going to be back in the dugout for the 2027 charity game, he replied: "Yeah!"
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Thiago, 34, won the Player of the Match for an impressive individual performance from the Spaniard, who retired from football in July 2024 after his exit from Liverpool.
Klopp spent almost nine years at Liverpool before leaving the club in May 2024. The Stuttgart-born manager departed the Reds having won 299 and drawing 103 of his 491 matches in charge, winning eight trophies including the Premier League, FA Cup and the Champions League.