During his time in charge of Borussia Dortmund, Jurgen Klopp was consistently being linked with the jobs at Barcelona and Real Madrid whenever one became available. Having made his name as one of the game's most innovative coaches, it's no surprise to hear he was on both shortlists.
There's every chance that he could still end up at either one of those clubs in the future, but for the time being, he's at Liverpool where he is currently battling it out to secure a top four place and a passage into next season's Champions League.
He's had a big job rebuilding the Reds, and it's a job that is nowhere near complete either, but while the majority of his focus is on the task at hand, he apparently still finds the time to keep an eye on the La Liga title race.
While conducting an interview with Spanish publication Marca, the Reds boss was asked a series of probing questions ranging from how he's finding his first full season in England to what training methods he finds most effective.
But in amongst the serious quizzing, there was also time for some more lighthearted fun, and they even managed to coax out which of Barcelona and Real Madrid's players he admires the most.
It could perhaps be the most telling difference between fans and coaches, but where a fan would likely say Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Neymar, the coach will usually opt for somebody more pragmatic.
Klopp did mention Ronaldo, saying: “Cristiano fascinates everyone, but I’m sure he works harder than anyone else.”
But his highest praise was reserved for his midfield teammate and fellow countryman Toni Kroos: "Toni Kroos is an exceptional footballer, a genius. He is so subtle with the ball. In the Real team he is very important. I like him very much. He always knows what to do with the ball."
And from Barcelona he revealed that it's none other than Sergio Busquets who he likes the most, adding: "(Sergio) Busquets is only 28-years-old, right? What a player! And seems to have been playing 16 years in that position!"
There were also kind words reserved for Bayern’s Thiago Alcántara (“I admire him”), Man City’s David Silva and Chelsea’s Pedro (“he’s playing well”).
Elsewhere, Klopp revealed that he shares many of the fans' frustrations by adding “with five extra points everything would look different” when questioned about how this season is going for him and Liverpool.
With those five more points the Reds would find themselves three points closer to Tottenham in second and seven points behind Chelsea at the top.
However, despite the severe dip in form during January, Klopp can generally be pleased with his first full season in England and can look forward to a busy summer where he will be able to shape the side to suit him even more than he already has.