Jurgen Klopp
Bernd Weißbrod/picture alliance via Getty Images
By now, most Liverpool fans are aware that Jurgen Klopp will start a new role at the Red Bull group in 2025.
The 57-year-old will assume his position on January 1, 2025, overseeing Red Bull’s international network of football clubs, including RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, and New York Red Bulls
While not involved in day-to-day operations, Klopp will focus on developing the overall football strategy, supporting sports directors, and assisting with scouting and coaching development.
It has already been reported that the German’s first major role could be.
Red Bull has acquired Japanese football club Omiya Ardija, marking the first full foreign ownership of a J-League team since the 2020 policy change allowing such investments.
As such, it seems that Klopp will be going to Japan in the new year to help Red Bull set up in the J-League.
But Klopp’s role was not greeted positively by some fans, especially Borussia Dortmund and Mainz fans.
Mainz fans have displayed two banners today in their game against RB Leipzig with messages to Jurgen Klopp. Leipzig won the game 2-0.
“Have you forgotten everything we made you become? Are you crazy?”
Another banner displayed an former Jurgen Klopp quote: “I like people up to… pic.twitter.com/0nN04HihJc
— DaveOCKOP (@DaveOCKOP) October 19, 2024
Supporters of Borussia Dortmund and Mainz, who hold Klopp in high regard for his role in revitalizing those clubs, have criticized his move to Red Bull, an organization with a business-driven approach to football that contrasts with the values Klopp promoted earlier in his career.
The controversy stems from Red Bull’s controversial presence in German football, particularly their circumvention of the 50+1 ownership rule through RB Leipzig.
And now the agent has responded to these concerns while also revealing Liverpool’s influence in the move.
What did the agent of Jurgen Klopp say about the Red Bull move?
Speaking on the Abendblatt podcast, Jurgen Klopp’s agent – Marc Kosicke – echoed earlier Jurgen Klopp sentiments that one simply cannot please everyone:
“We always knew that there would be a part of people who would no longer like you,” he said 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.”
Kosicke also discussed the influence Liverpool had on Jurgen taking the role at Red Bull, asserting that his transfer dealings with the likes of Red Bull Leipzig added to the allure of joining the organzation.
During the German’s tenure at Liverpool, the club established a strong relationship with Red Bull clubs, signing four significant players from their network.
From RB Leipzig, Liverpool secured the services of Naby Keita (£52.75m), Ibrahima Konate (£36m), and Dominik Szoboszlai (£60.1m), while Takumi Minamino (£7.25m) arrived from Red Bull Salzburg:
“Jurgen has always spoken positively about Red Bull football,” Kosicke explained.
“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.”
Finally, the agent added that while Klopp is not looking for a coaching role, the German national team will always be lurking in the background:
“Jurgen has no desire at all to be a coach at the moment,” he added.
“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.”
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