Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has spoken of being pipped by Jurgen Klinsmann for the Bayern Munich job over a decade ago.

Bayern made contact with him when he was Mainz manager in 2008.

"To beat them was the biggest challenge you could face in German football, always," said Klopp ahead of tonight's Champions League clash.

"Sometimes we did it and sometimes we didn't. It is pretty much all true (that Munich wanted me) apart from the claim I was angry afterwards when they called me to say they had decided on the other Jurgen (Klinsmann). I wasn't angry. I never expected they would go for me.

"I was a second division manager in Germany — a Championship manager if you want — and who would expect that Bayern calls you? It was more of a shock in the first moment.

"Then a couple of days later they called to say they'd gone with the other Jurgen. All the rest is true.

"It was Uli Hoeness on the phone. I would never have told the story. It is not a story where you go around telling people, 'They asked me if I would go there!' But Hoeness spoke about it and I can confirm that's how it was."