Sport
Jake Brigstock
Oct 09, 2024
Sky Sports, TNT Sports, BT Sport, PA
Jurgen Klopp has taken his next job in football after leaving the Liverpool hot seat and fans are divided on social media.
Klopp joined the Reds in 2015 and won every trophy an English club can including the Premier League and Champions League before stepping down in May.
He wanted to take a break from football but five months on it's been announced he's taking on the role of Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull starting January 1 2025.
This will see him advise all teams that come under the Red Bull umbrella, including Leipzig, Salzburg and New York.
Speaking to Red Bull in a press release, Klopp said: "After almost 25 years on the sideline, I could not be more excited to get involved in a project like this. The role may have changed but my passion for football and the people who make the game what it is has not.
"By joining Red Bull at a global level, I want to develop, improve and support the incredible football talent that we have at our disposal.
"I see my role primarily as a mentor for the coaches and management of the Red Bull clubs but ultimately I am one part of an organisation that is unique, innovative and forward looking. As I said, this could not excite me more."
Reports claim Klopp has a clause in his long-term contract that if the German national team job becomes available, which is currently occupied by Julian Nagelsmann, he can go for it.
But fans are split down the middle about this on social media, with some saying it's a great move to him and wishing him all the best, while others are saying it goes against what he seemingly stands for as he's now working for an organisation that owns a number of football clubs.
This type of ownership is unpopular with a lot of football fans.
Paul Machin, a freelance presenter, said: "All the best to him!"
One person Tweeted a meme of "Klopp when he has to sack Pep Lijnders".
Lijnders was Klopp's assistant for the vast majority of his time at Liverpool (except for a stint in 2018 when Lijnders was the manager of NEC in Netherlands) before he went on to take the head coach role at Red Bull Salzburg.
Another said: "That's good for him."
"This is such a good move for all parties involved, lovely," said one.
But another asked: "Wtf is he doing".
One described him as an "absolute clown of a man".
Another quipped: "Arteta made him run away from the EPL."
And one Liverpool fan said: "I wish him nothing but the very best but I can't help feel something like this isn't suited to his skillset."
Since then, Klopp has shared a further update on Instagram.
"A few months ago, I said I don't see myself on the sideline anymore and that's still the case," he said.
"But I still love football and I still love working and Red Bull gives me the perfect platform for that. I want to learn again because when you're in the job and you have to play every three days, you barely have time for that.
"I want to see and feel and figure out what is useful for football, so developing football a little bit as well."
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