Jurgen Klopp has said he is uncertain when he will return to football since leaving Liverpool after nine glorious years. There have been rumours that he will take over the German national team. However, that has not happened and the 57-year-old is expected to take another two years off.
However, Klopp's side surprisingly announced that he would join Red Bull. The German coach will take on the role of global football director of the group. Klopp will not be involved in the day-to-day operations of Red Bull clubs. However, he will provide strategic guidance. The former coach's focus will be on supporting sporting directors, global scouting and coach development.
"After nearly 25 years on the pitch, I couldn't be more excited to be involved in a project like this. The role may have changed but my passion for football remains the same.
By joining Red Bull in this important role, I want to develop, improve and support the football talent we have. There are many ways we can do this, from using the elite knowledge and experience that Red Bull has, to learning from other sports and industries.
"I will act as an advisor to the coaches and management of Red Bull clubs. Along with that, I will contribute to creativity and look towards the future" - Klopp shared.
"We are very pleased. This is certainly one of the most successful contracts in Red Bull's sports sector. Jurgen Klopp is one of the greatest and most influential figures in the world of football with extraordinary skills and charisma" - Red Bull's CEO of projects and investments, Oliver Mintzlaff shared.
Red Bull currently owns a number of clubs around the world, including RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg and the New York Red Bulls. Klopp is expected to play a key role in all of these teams in terms of strategy.
Last July, Jurgen Klopp turned down an offer from the US Soccer Federation after the national team parted ways with Gregg Berhalter. Although Red Bull has agreed, it is expected that the corporation will not hold a press conference to officially introduce Jurgen Klopp until January 2025.
Klopp's move to Red Bull was both surprising and not surprising. What was surprising was that at an age that is still suitable for coaches (57), the German coach chose to leave the coaching bench. However, this strategist once said that he ran out of energy in his final year with Liverpool. Joining Red Bull helps Klopp maintain his passion, still manage the strategy, transfers,... of each club. However, he does not have to exhaust himself every day on the training ground and the field anymore.
Jurgen Klopp will be reunited with Pep Lijnders, formerly Liverpool's assistant coach, who is now in charge of Red Bull Salzburg. Vitor Matos and Andreas Kornmayer, who were both part of Klopp's backroom staff at Anfield, also work alongside Lijnders at the club.
With German football, if they fail in major tournaments in the near future, they will hardly be able to recruit Klopp because his plan with Red Bull is expected to be very long-term. In recent years, although playing well in the Bundesliga, RB Leipzig does not have many fans because they are a new team founded in 2009. With a person with such appeal in Germany as Klopp, RB Leipzig hopes that the club's position and reputation will grow bigger and bigger.
