From 1 January 2025 Jurgen Klopp will work as “Head of Global Soccer” within the Red Bull Group. News that surprised everyone, especially because the German coach had always represented “football romance” thanks to his work with Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool and his behavior off the pitch.
Now he will work for a company accused of “using” football (like other sports) to gain publicity and destroy the competition: “It must be said clearly that I have never followed the history of Red Bull in such a critical way,” Klopp said in podcast hosted by brothers Toni and Felix Kroos. Klopp spoke above all of the results achieved by the clubs of the Red Bull galaxy, especially in the transfer market: many clubs could have signed players such as Willi Orban, Kevin Kampl and Yussuf Poulsen, but also Dayot Upamecano, Ibrahima Konaté and Christopher Nkunku, who instead chose to grow in a healthy environment. A strategy that Klopp defines as “winning”.
“I certainly don’t want to step on anyone’s toes and personally I love all my former clubs. But I don’t know exactly what I could have done to make everyone happy… For me this is an exceptional opportunity, I have to be honest: I’m basically a consultant and hopefully he can evaluate things correctly and is willing to work in synergy with the coaches. I just want to support, not interfere, because it would be stupid to pass on my experience and stay in the sector that I know best.” Then he revealed: “My closest colleague will be Mario Gomez, none of us would have imagined that this would happen sooner or later. It will be fantastic. Of course I have already spoken to Mario even if I will start on January 1st. Until then I will be on holiday” ..