Jürgen Klopp, former coach of iconic teams such as Mainz 05, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, has been appointed global head of football in the Red Bull organization. The role, which will begin on January 1, 2025, marks a new chapter in the career of Klopp, who leaves behind nearly three decades as a top-level coach to take on a more strategic role. “After almost 25 years on the touchline, I couldn’t be more excited to be involved in a project like this,” Klopp commented. “The role may have changed, but my passion for football and for the people who make the game what it is, hasn’t changed.”
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The agreement between Klopp and Red Bull includes a clause that would allow him to take over as Germany’s national coach in the future if Julian Nagelsmann leaves the post. Klopp left Liverpool at the end of the 2023-24 season after guiding the team to such major titles as the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020. Prior to his time at Liverpool, Klopp coached Mainz 05, with whom he won promotion to the Bundesliga, and Borussia Dortmund, with whom he won two league titles.
In his new role at Red Bull, Klopp will oversee a group of clubs that includes RB Leipzig in the German Bundesliga, Red Bull Salzburg in Austria, New York Red Bulls in MLS, and Red Bull Bragantino in Brazil. Red Bull also has a minority stake in Leeds United in England, and has a team in Ghanaian football, Red Bull Ghana. “I won’t be involved in the day-to-day operations, but I will oversee a group of clubs that bring the same intensity that was my hallmark as a coach,” Klopp explained.
PRAISE FOR RED BULL’S WORK IN 2022
In 2022, Klopp had already praised Red Bull after a friendly between Liverpool and Red Bull Salzburg. “What Red Bull is doing is really interesting. They change every year, they sell players, but they always have a good team,” he said at the time. This approach, similar to his style of high pressing and intense play, reflects the synergy between Red Bull’s football philosophy and Klopp’s, which undoubtedly made it easier for him to join this new project.
Klopp also noted that this new role will represent a change of pace in his career: “I see my role primarily as a mentor for Red Bull’s coaches and club management, but ultimately I am a part of a unique, innovative and forward-thinking organization. With his vast experience and strategic approach, Klopp will look to take Red Bull clubs to new heights in global football.
It is a further step for a coach who, wherever he goes, not only succeeds but also leaves a deep impression on his fans. Everywhere he has gone, he has left with the appreciation and “thank yous” of the fans.
