Football's Most Memorable Homecomings

It will be an emotional night for Jurgen Klopp on Thursday when he returns to Borussia Dortmund as Liverpool manager for the first time since leaving the German club in May 2015.

Klopp took over at Dortmund in 2008 and spent seven years in charge of the club, in which time he won two Bundesliga titles and one German Cup, as well as guiding the underdogs to the UEFA Champions League final in 2013.

He left to pursue new challenges at the end of the 2014/15 season, before taking over the reigns at Liverpool following Brendan Rodgers' sacking in October.

Now, six months into his spell in England, Klopp returns to Dortmund to take on his former squires in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals.

It's sure to be a special night for the charismatic German, so to mark the occasion, we've compiled a list of some of football's more memorable homecomings.

While some were welcomed back, others weren't given quite the same reception. Read on to find out more.

David Beckham Returns to Manchester United with AC Milan

A Manchester United fan since he was a boy, David Beckham established himself as one of the game's biggest stars during his 11 years at Old Trafford.

The then-England captain left United for Real Madrid in the summer of 2003, but he returned with AC Milan for a Champions League last-16 tie in March 2010.

Beckham, on loan from MLS side LA Galaxy, had to wait until the 64th minute to make his return to the Old Trafford playing field, when he replaced Ignazio Abate with the Italian club already 3-0 down.

No doubt it was worth the wait, however, as the prodigal son was welcomed back with a rapturous ovation from the United faithful.

The applause was immediately followed by boos when Beckham made his first touch of the ball, but the cheers soon returned as the midfielder completed his final competitive appearance on the turf where he made his name.

Luis Figo Returns to Barcelona with Real Madrid

Shock waves were felt across the football world in July 2000 when Luis Figo left Barcelona for archrivals Real Madrid in a then-world record £37.4m deal.

Unsurprisingly, Figo's perceived betrayal did not go down well with the Catalan faithful, and the Portuguese playmaker was greeted with the most volatile of receptions when he returned to the Camp Nou on October 21, 2000.

However, it was an incident two years later that is remembered as Figo's true Camp Nou homecoming.

With significant time having passed since the controversial transfer, Figo returned to corner duties in front of a bloodthirsty Barcelona crowd.

Insults were chanted and objects thrown—the most notable being a small pig's head that landed near the corner flag as the intended target lined up a cross.

It's easy to see why few players make the move between Barca and Real.

Thierry Henry Returns to Arsenal With...Arsenal

Arsenal fans were left broken hearted when all-time leading goalscorer Thierry Henry left for Barcelona in 2007.

The Frenchman's departure signalled the start of a barren period for the Gunners, who failed to win another major trophy until the FA Cup in 2014.

Two years earlier, however, the same competition provided a very special moment for Arsenal's loyal supporters when Henry returned on loan from New York Red Bulls for a third-round tie against Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsene Wenger's men were struggling to find a way through their Championship opposition, until Henry came off the bench to find the bottom corner in trademark style.

The striker lapped up the crowd's adulation as if he'd never been away, with the goal proving the difference in a narrow 1-0 win.

Henry rejoined the Red Bulls for the start of the MLS season two months later, but his brief return to north London provided a memorable homecoming.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Returns to Malmo with Paris Saint-Germain

It was a homecoming in the truest sense of the word when the Champions League group-stage draw granted Zlatan Ibrahimovic a return to Malmo with Paris Saint-Germain in November 2015.

The Swedish talisman came through the youth ranks at Malmo and started his professional career there in 1999 before joining Ajax in 2001.

Since then, he's gone on to win league titles in Italy, Spain and France, while establishing himself as one of the best strikers in the world.

But he never forgot his roots, expressing his appreciation for his hometown club by renting out a square and a huge screen to show the match when he returned for Malmo vs. PSG on November 26.

Unsurprisingly, Ibrahimovic received a brilliant reception at the Malmo Stadion, and he went on to find the net in a 5-0 PSG win.

"It was a great moment for me and my family," he told Sky Sports after the game. "This is where everything started, I got goose bumps. It felt like I was home."

Mathieu Valbuena Returns to Marseille with Lyon

There is such a thing as a warm reception, and there is such a thing as a hot reception.

When Mathieu Valbuena returned to Marseille's Stade Veleodrome with Lyon in September 2015, it was very much the latter.

The diminutive Frenchman spent eight years at Marseille between 2006 and 2014, winning one league title and three league cups, before leaving to join Dynamo Moscow.

Valbuena was such a popular figure at the Velodrome, the club even retired his No. 28 shirt upon his exit...only for the midfielder to return to Ligue 1 with rivals Lyon in 2015.

Fair to say, the move did not go down well with Marseille's passionate supporters, and they greeted their former hero by throwing bottles and booing—as well as hanging an effigy—when he returned to the stadium the following September.

Even the players joined in on the hostile reception, hitting their former team-mate with a number of heavy tackles across the 90 minutes.

Didier Drogba Returns to Chelsea with Galatasaray

Didier Drogba could not have left Chelsea on better terms in the summer of 2012, when his final kick in a blue shirt (or so it was thought) secured the club their maiden Champions League title.

From there, the Ivorian joined Turkish giants Galatasaray...who, in his second season at the club, were drawn to play Chelsea in the last 16 of the same competition where Drogba left his biggest mark.

It was an emotional return to Stamford Bridge for Drogba, who was welcomed fondly by the home support as the Blues secured a 2-0 win.

After the game, the man voted the club's greatest-ever player soaked up the adulation of the crowd, and he rejoined Chelsea for one more season in 2014.

Ronaldinho Returns to Barcelona with AC Milan

The pre-season nature of the match wasn't all that was friendly about Ronaldinho's Barcelona homecoming in 2010.

The Brazilian superstar spent five years at the Camp Nou, winning two La Liga titles and the Champions League before joining AC Milan in 2008.

He returned to his former club with Milan two years later for the Joan Gamper Trophy, an annual exhibition match held at the Camp Nou in honour of the founding member, former player and president of Barcelona.

The crowd welcomed Ronaldinho like he'd never been away, while Carles Puyol extended that appreciation by inviting his former team-mate to join Barca in their pre-match photo.

Regularly seen with a broad smile stretched across his face, Ronaldinho's grin seemed even wider than usual as he revelled in the love of his former colleagues and supporters.