Jurgen Klopp joined Red Bull football group after stepping down as Liverpool manager
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(Image: PA)
Jurgen Klopp’s agent has admitted that the former Liverpool manager’s transfer dealings at Anfield influenced his decision to join the Red Bull Group. The German stepped down as Reds boss at the end of last season, and will take up a new position as Red Bull’s Head of Global Football from the start of next year.
The switch has proven to be unpopular back in his homeland, with Klopp’s decision to join Red Bull not going down well with supporters of his former club, Borussia Dortmund.
In 2009, Red Bull caused controversy in Germany when it took over fifth-division SSV Markranstadt, turning the club into RB Leipzig and winning a number of promotions before taking the club all the way into the Champions League.
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Klopp has faced a lot of criticism, both from the media and supporter groups in Germany, as a result of his decision to join the group.
Now his long-serving agent, Marc Kosicke, has revealed both were well-aware of the scrutiny his decision would face. But admitted it did not deter them, with the Red Bull group leaving a positive impression on Klopp during his transfer dealings with them as Liverpool manager.
"We always knew that there would be a part of people who would no longer like you,” Kosicke told the Abendblatt podcast, as quoted by BILD. “But as he always says: If you try to please everyone every day, you will fail every day.
“He has to find the right job for himself after 25 years on the sidelines. And this somewhat higher-level work on a global level in a sports environment that offers so many opportunities is simply exciting. And that's why we decided that the consequences are definitely worth bearing.
"Jurgen has always spoken positively about Red Bull football. He simply appreciates the work that is done there, because he also transferred some players from Salzburg and Leipzig to Liverpool, who always fit perfectly into his game system."
Liverpool signed Naby Keita, Ibrahima Konate and Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig, and Takumi Minamino from Red Bull Salzburg during Klopp’s time at Anfield. Meanwhile, Sadio Mane also played for the Austrian outfit prior to his move to Southampton in 2014, having also attracted the interest of both the Reds and the German while still at Borussia Dortmund.
Meanwhile, Kosicke reiterated that Klopp currently has no desire to return to management, but refused to rule out the former Liverpool boss becoming Germany manager one day.
“Jurgen has no desire at all to be a coach at the moment,” he said "Life is dynamic. And if it were to come to that (the Germany role), that would certainly be another aspect that I wouldn't turn down."