Jürgen Klopp has justified his choice to head Red Bull’s network of football clubs, stressing that he aimed to avoid causing any friction with fans of his former German teams following criticism from their supporters.
Starting in January, Klopp will take on the role of head of global football for the drinks company, a move that has surprised many. This will be his first position since leaving Liverpool at the end of last season.
“I didn’t want to step on anybody’s toes, definitely not, and personally, I love all of my ex-clubs,” Klopp stated in an interview released Wednesday on a podcast hosted by former Real Madrid and Germany midfielder Toni Kroos.
Klopp suggested that any decision to coach another club would have similarly disappointed some fans.
“I really don’t know what exactly I could have done for everyone to be happy,” he said.
Red Bull, particularly its Leipzig team, is widely resented by many German football fans who view the drinks company as an unwelcome corporate entity attempting to buy success. Supporters at Klopp’s former clubs like Borussia Dortmund have criticised the move, and Mainz fans recently held up banners expressing their disappointment and questioning his sanity.
Klopp spent 18 years at Mainz as a player and coach before joining Dortmund in 2008, where he led the club to two Bundesliga titles and a Champions League final.
Klopp remarked that he had never viewed Red Bull’s participation in football so critically, acknowledging its significant role in reviving top-tier club football in former East Germany through the Leipzig initiative.
Previously, Klopp had announced his plan to take an extended break from football after departing Liverpool, where he coached his final game in May following nine years with the club.
He said, “I’m 57, so I can still work for a couple more years, but I don’t really see myself on the sideline (as a coach) for the time being.
“But it was always clear that I wasn’t going to do nothing at all. And then this opportunity with Red Bull arose, and for me, it’s outstanding.”
Klopp characterised his role at Red Bull primarily as an adviser, working alongside coaches at the clubs sponsored by the drinks giant.
Frances Ibiefo
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