On the 26th of January, 2024, Jürgen Klopp revealed he had decided to step down as Liverpool manager at the end of that season. It came as a major shock to many fans, though not a huge surprise within the club, who he had been told back in November. Klopp was fulsome in his praise of the Reds and his love for the team, players and city. However, he explained that he was “running out of energy” and could not keep doing the job “again and again and again and again”.
He enjoyed, and we all did, his amazing eight and a half years at the club. It brought a first-ever Premier League title and ended the Reds’ wait for top-flight glory. In addition, there was a Champions League win – plus two near misses when Liverpool lost in the final – and two League Cups, plus the FA Cup in 2021/22.
Many wondered how Liverpool would cope with Klopp gone, especially in the light of the struggles Manchester United and Arsenal both faced when they were tasked with replacing long-serving, highly successful managers. But Klopp left the Reds in a far stronger position than either United or the Gunners found themselves in and the board acted swiftly and brilliantly to appoint Arne Slot.
The Dutch boss has settled in fantastically well and heading into the November international break the Reds were top of the Premier League. In addition, they had won their previous six matches, including two good victories in the Champions League. There was a minor blip in terms of a home defeat to Nottingham Forest but before that Slot had overseen a 3-0 win at Old Trafford and so there is certainly no doubt that it has been an amazing start for the new manager.
The King is dead, long live the King! The Kop has a new King but for an iconic and much-loved figure like Klopp, fans will always feel something. And so it will be of huge interest to many Reds that the German has returned to football.
Red Bull Gives You Wings
The energy drink’s famous slogan may well be true, at least in the case of Liverpool’s former boss. After explaining he was short on energy and needed time away from the game, and wasn’t even 100% sure he would return to football, the fact that he has come back less than nine months after announcing he was stepping down, and just four months after his final game in charge, is something of a surprise.
On the 9th of October, news arrived that Klopp would be taking up a role with the Red Bull football group. The excitement of the new position must have given Klopp wings and a real energy boost, though he is not due to start work until January 2025.
It is an interesting decision by the Liverpool hero for a number of reasons and probably not the job many thought he would take on. He explained when leaving the Reds that the only thing he was sure of was that he would not manage another English club, saying that it was “impossible” he would do that. But many thought that he would hold out for either the role as coach of the German national team, or possibly one of the Spanish giants.
German Role Remains an Option
It has been reported that Klopp’s agreement with Red Bull would allow him to be released if the German position was offered. Julian Nagelsmann is the current manager and the former Bayern Munich boss – who also managed RB Leipzig – extended his contract with die Mannschaft in April 2024 and so he should, in theory at least, be in charge until at least the 2026 World Cup.
If the reports of a release clause are true there would be a chance that Klopp becomes the German boss before then but equally he may decide that he would rather stay out of management entirely.
Wings… But What About Ethics?
Some Liverpool fans may have doubts about Kopp’s decision to join Red Bull, where he will begin at the start of next year as Head of Global Soccer. One of the (many) reasons Klopp was so respected and indeed loved by supporters was that he was a man of integrity. He had social values that chimed with the fans, especially local ones.
Klopp’s left-leaning worldview – or to throw around a bit of German, Weltanschauung – and his aooarently firm belief that football should be more sport than business, is not an obvious fit with the aggressive marketing and money-first approach of Red Bull. RB Leipzig are very unpopular with many in Germany, and that is down to the way their involvement with the energy-drink giant has commercialised football in the country.
Traditionally German football has been much more fan-forward than it is in other nations, with a better match-day experience and much cheaper ticket prices. The 50+1 rule in the Bundesliga allows fans, as club members, to retain far greater control over what happens. Not only does much that Red Bull do contravene the broader spirit, but the club also directly abuse the rule, using loopholes to skirt the issue.
In addition, their rapid rise to power, on the back of Red Bull funding, doesn’t sit well with fans. In much the same way as many lower-league supporters dislike Wrexham, Leipzig, a club only founded in 2009, attract a lot of negativity simply because they have risen up the ranks very quickly, aided by outside finance.
Clearly Klopp is happy with the role though and he would know and understand far more about it than anyone judging from the outside. But what will he actually be doing?
What Does the Head of Global Soccer Do?
Upon accepting the job, Klopp said that he “could not be more excited” and that whilst his role has changed, his “passion for football and the people who make the game what it is has not.” But what tasks will he be undertaking for Red Bull and what clubs are involved?
Red Bull has involvement with many sports, seeing the power of football, F1 and a host of extreme sports as a means to reach a key demographic for them. They now own or at least have major shares in the following clubs around the world:
- RB Salzburg
- New York Red Bulls
- Red Bull Brasil
- Red Bull Bragantino
They are also taking an increasing stake in Leeds United and Klopp’s role will be to provide “strategic vision, supporting individual sporting directors in advancing the Red Bull philosophy.” Quite what that entails is not entirely clear, but some believe his job may be similar to the one carried out by Michael Edwards at Liverpool.
He will not be involved directly in football matters, such as daily training, but will advise on playing philosophy, transfer strategies and broader ideas of coaching. We wish him well.