Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he is “at peace” with his new role as Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull after his decision caused uproar among fans in his homeland of Germany.
Red Bull’s German club, RB Leipzig, have been divisive among supporters in the country since starting out in 2009 after buying the rights to the fifth-tier Leipzig-area club SSV Markranstädt.
Leipzig’s limited membership is seen by critics as a way of avoiding some of the potential pitfalls of the much-admired requirement for German football clubs to be majority-owned by members – essentially giving power to fans.
“…this could not excite me more.” Jürgen Klopp
The feeling is mutual💪 #GivesYouWiiings pic.twitter.com/Uxb5evphgg
— Red Bull (@redbull) October 9, 2024
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Klopp: ‘German football is different’
“I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes – definitely not,” said Klopp, via Bild, speaking to a podcast hosted by Germany icon Toni Kroos and his former Mannschaft youth international brother, Felix.
“Personally, I love all of my former clubs. I don’t know exactly what I could have done to make everyone happy. It was clear that this would be perceived differently in Germany than abroad.
“German football is different from other leagues. You can’t make your decisions dependent on other reactions if you are at peace with them.”
Jürgen Klopp has come under fire by his previous clubs’ fans for taking a role with Red Bull 🔴@carra23 and Thierry weigh in on his hire ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/WbvdxUeKb5
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 23, 2024
Red Bull ‘outstanding’
Klopp’s first job since saying he wanted to take a break from management was described as a “culture shock” by Kicker at the time, with ESPN’s Derek Rae reporting that 72% of voters in a poll run by the German outlet said they disapproved of the move.
Many supporters of Borussia Dortmund, with whom Klopp won the Bundesliga twice during his seven-year tenure, were aghast at the news.
“It was always clear to me that I would not do nothing,” said the 57-year-old. “And then the Red Bull story came up. For me, it is outstanding, I have to honestly say.”
“It’s not important what people think when you come in, it’s much more important what people think when you leave.” – Jürgen Klopp ❤️ pic.twitter.com/JCp1lmsV7I
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 20, 2024
Klopp at Red Bull: Friends reunited
Klopp, who won trophies including the Premier League and Champions League during almost nine years at Liverpool, added that he had not “followed the Red Bull story so critically”.
His former Liverpool assistant, Pep Lijnders, is in charge at Austrian giants RB Salzburg, while one of Klopp’s players from his time leading Mainz, Marco Rose, is Leipzig manager.
RB New York’s German manager, Sandro Schwarz, played with and under Klopp at Mainz, and former Germany international Mario Gomez is Red Bull’s Technical Director.
“Neither of us would have dreamed that this would happen at some point,” Klopp said of 39-year-old Gomez. “Two Swabians are starting together.
“It will be great. I have already spoken to Mario, of course, but not about the [work]. It starts on January 1st. The plan is for me to be on holiday until then.
“Basically, I’m an adviser: someone who can hopefully bring calm in a variety of situations and, in other situations, assess things correctly and want to work with the coaches.
“I just want to support, not interfere, because I know how stupid that is. Instead, I want to pass on my experience and stay in the area that I know best. This is not planned as a short-term thing.”
