Klopp dismisses claims he pushed El Mala towards Borussia Dortmund

Jurgen Klopp has rejected suggestions that he advised 1. FC Koln winger Said El Mala to join Borussia Dortmund after the teenager’s proposed move to the club collapsed.

The transfer, which ended unsuccessfully on Friday, had become one of the most high-profile recent stories in German football. Amid reports linking El Mala with Dortmund, it was claimed that Klopp, the newly appointed Germany manager, had recommended that the 19-year-old move to Signal Iduna Park.

Klopp, 59, strongly denied trying to influence El Mala’s decision in favour of the club he managed for seven years.

“It bothered me a little that people thought I was stupid enough to call a player in my first official job and say: Borussia Dortmund would be a good fit for you,” Klopp said.

“Of course I did not do that. That is not my job.”

Klopp’s comments were carried by the Kicker newspaper’s YouTube channel, which published remarks made to the German Football Association’s official channels.

He said he would be willing to offer advice to a player he had worked with for a longer period, but insisted any such guidance would be based solely on the player’s circumstances and not on his own employment history.

“If I work with a player for a longer period in the future, and then he comes to me asking for advice, I will give him some advice. But that will not be influenced by whether I have worked at the club before or not,” Klopp said.

“The focus is always on the player. Said El Mala is certainly a nice man, but of course we did not talk about that.”

El Mala’s proposed transfer to Borussia Dortmund had attracted attention because of the reported connection with Klopp, who previously spent seven years in charge of the Bundesliga club. However, Klopp made clear that he had not discussed a possible move with the winger and had not attempted to steer him towards Dortmund.

The collapse of the deal brought an end to the transfer story on Friday, while Klopp used the episode to distance himself from claims that he had played a behind-the-scenes role.

His comments also set out how he believes his responsibilities should operate in his new position with Germany. Any advice he might give a player in future, he said, would come only after developing a longer working relationship and would not be shaped by a former club connection.