Jurgen Klopp couldn’t keep his emotions in check when finances meant he couldn’t reunite with his former player
Jurgen Klopp was left in tears after he was unable to buy a player he had a close relationship with(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Jurgen Klopp burst into tears on the phone with Kevin Price-Boateng when revealing he was unable to buy him. During the former Liverpool manager’s reign at Borussia Dortmund, he signed the ex-Tottenham Hotspur midfielder on loan in 2009.
The success of Boateng’s temporary stint in Germany meant Klopp attempted to make the move permanent but was unable to due to Dortmund’s lack of finances. Klopp broke the news to the former Ghana international on the phone which left both of them in tears.
The 38-year-old opened up about the emotional moment on Rio Ferdinand’s FIVE podcast back in 2023. He told the former England star: “It didn’t work out. He called me personally and said we can’t buy you, we don’t have the money. We both cried on the phone. Like really cried. We had a very good relationship.”
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Boateng was still somewhat of an unknown quantity when making the move to Dortmund and didn’t necessarily impress at parent club Spurs, where he failed to score in 25 appearances.
Discussing the fan reaction to his arrival, he recounted: “When they announced that I come to Dortmund, they (fans) criticised the club, like: ‘Why (are) you bringing that guy? He’s crazy. Did you see what he did in Tottenham?'”
Despite the negativity surrounding his signing, Boateng said Klopp backed him in a press conference and recalled the German saying: “I brought him here, I will make him the player he is. Prince Boateng has a book of 1,000 pages and each page is different, that’s how good he is.”
Among Klopp’s many attributes, it’s his man-management skills that have garnered the most praise – and it’s an ability that Boateng threw huge praise on. “I said I will give my life for him,” he said. “Every player would die for him on the pitch because he gives you that feeling of confidence, that feeling of love as well.
“Whatever you do, if you do a mistake, he’s going to be there. I needed that guy who was going to believe in me because after Martin Jol and Juande Ramos, no-one believed in me. I didn’t believe in myself – I just gave up.”
Boateng admitted he was overweight at Dortmund but with Klopp’s ability to inspire, he was able to perform at a high level. He added: “I had like six, seven pounds (of weight) more. So he gave me that feeling, so I came (there) and performed.”
After returning to north London following his loan, he signed permanently for Portsmouth in 2009 which began quite the footballing nomad career for Boateng. Following a year down the coast, he went on to represent Genoa, AC Milan (twice), Schalke, Las Palmas, Eintracht Frankfurt and Sassuolo.
A surprising loan spell at Barcelona then followed in 2019, before rattling off stints at Fiorentina, Besiktas (loan) and Monza. The last club of his career was also his first as he returned home to Hertha Berlin and stayed for two years before hanging up his boots in 2023.
Since 2025, Boateng has been the coach of the Australian national team in socca, which is a variant of football but played in a 6-a-side format with games lasting 40 minutes. Boateng may be a keen viewer of his two former sides in Dortmund and Tottenham clashing in the Champions League this evening. Liverpool are in action against Marseille on Wednesday.
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