Having been criticised for taking up a role with Red Bull, Jurgen Klopp has now spoken about the reaction, saying: “I don’t really know what I could have done to make everyone happy.”
After leaving Liverpool in the summer, Klopp has been enjoying a break from football.
In early October, the German announced he would be joining Red Bull as their global head of soccer, a role that includes strategic management for Red Bull’s international network of clubs, which includes Leipzig, Salzburg, New York Red Bulls and Red Bull Bragantino.
Klopp taking the job has been seen as a controversial move by many, especially fans in Germany who resent the company for getting around the 50+1 fan ownership rule when founding RB Leipzig in 2009.
After receiving criticism from supporters of his former clubs, Mainz and Borussia Dortmund, Klopp has spoken about the backlash on Einfach mal Luppen, a podcast hosted by Toni Kroos and his brother, Felix.
Via the Athletic, Klopp said: “I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes, absolutely not, and I love all of my former clubs, but I don’t really know what I could have done to make everyone happy.”
Klopp begins his new job on January 1, 2025, seven months after leaving Liverpool. The 57-year-old added: “It was always clear, well, clear to me, that I wouldn’t do nothing. And then the Red Bull story came up and it was an outstanding [option], and I have to be honest about that.
“Basically, I’m an advisor. Hopefully I can bring calm in different ways and, in other situations, assess things correctly and help the coaches.
“But I just want to support, not interfere, because I know how disruptive that is. Instead, I want to pass on my experience and work in the world that I know best.”
Criticism from former clubs
As mentioned, the decision to join Red Bull hasn’t gone down well with football fans in Germany.
During Mainz’s recent 2-0 Bundesliga defeat to RB Leipzig, supporters unveiled several banners criticising their legendary coach.
“Have you forgotten everything we gave you?” read one, while another asked: “Are you crazy?”
Perhaps the most hard-hitting sign was one that referenced a well-known quote from Klopp himself, “I like people until they disappoint me.”
Ex-Dortmund player Kevin Grosskreutz, who played under Klopp at Dortmund, told the Viertelstunde Fussball podcast: “I don’t think anyone was expecting it. It’s very, very strange and I can’t really comprehend it yet. It’s like shock.
“Nevertheless, he’s a friend of mine and I owe him a lot, and I will always be grateful to him. As a football fan, I think it sucks, to put it bluntly! But as a friend, you have to accept decisions being made.
“When we meet, I’ll still tell him personally that I think it’s shit that he does something like that!”
