A Red Bull and here we go again? HAS “short of energy“Last January, Jürgen Klopp visibly regained his strength nine months later.”After some 25 years on the field, I couldn’t be more motivated than by such a project“, said the former Liverpool coach this Wednesday after getting involved, not without surprise, in the energy drinks company. If everyone predicted a long break for him, he is finally back in the saddle. Already. Certainly, the German technician changes his costume. That of coach put in the closet, he will take on that of football boss of the Austrian group, very involved in high-level sport and which notably owns three clubs in Leipzig, Salzburg and New York C. I promise, it will not be involved on a daily basis in club life“but will rather be responsible for the vision”strategic“, as specified in the press release.
Aged 57, Klopp, who left the banks of the Mersey at the end of last season, will take up his duties on January 1, 2025.The role changes, but not the passion“for football, he said, he who will be responsible in particular for indicating the procedure to follow for the various clubs in the Red Bull galaxy. From the philosophy to be instilled to the talents to be educated, from the profiles to be recruited to the advice to train.Above all, I see my role as an advisor to the coaches and management of Red Bull clubs.“, assured the former coach of Mainz and BvB, who is committed to a long-term project. We are therefore, most likely, talking about several years. In Germany, the news took everyone by surprise .
A clause to become a coach
“It harms his public imagedeplores our colleague from Eurosport Germany Florian Bogner. After his spells at Mainz, Dortmund and Liverpool, Klopp was seen as a man of integrity, someone who always emphasized his love of football and its values, even building his image and brand on it. The fact that he is now moving to an energy drink company to take on a strategic role that he has never held before has a very bitter taste. Of course, Klopp can stay in business (football) and especially in discussions, he can maintain his contacts and even create new ones without having to do too much every day. But this doesn’t reflect well on his ethics and will alienate many fans from him.” Some of his admirers at BvB are already railing on social networks.
Not crazy, Klopp would however have agreed, according to Sky Germany, an exit clause with Red Bull if he has the opportunity to one day become coach of the team. But will his popularity rating be intact by then? “That doesn’t change much. Regardless, Klopp would still have been a serious ‘next’ candidate to succeed (Julian) Nagelsmann. This will not change. On the contrary, it seems absolutely logical that there is an exit clause for Klopp if the Federation inquires and offers him the position of coach national“, assures our colleague.
In Europe, Red Bull notably owns the clubs of Salzburg, Austria, home of the multinational, and Leipzig, which compete in the prestigious Champions League. In the United States, New York is involved in MLS, the North American championship, where stars (Messi, Giroud, Lloris, etc.) have been flocking for several years. Jürgen Klopp will therefore keep an eye everywhere, without killing himself. He does not forget that originally, his sudden departure from Liverpool, which had left its mark with the brutality of its timing, was supposed to give him a well-deserved rest. Not really giving him wings.
“It is still a new dimension and not just a simple advertising contract for himbelieves Bogner, who remains doubtful about this signing with Red Bull and the image it sends to the general public. Of course, he’s done plenty of commercials in the past, offering his smile for many products. For football purists, however, it is a betrayal. It’s a huge surprise that Klopp is selling to Red Bull. To willingly give oneself to a cause as unconvincing as ‘developing, improving and supporting the incredible talent we have at our disposal’. His quotes in the Red Bull press release are really, really strange, and very ‘corporate’.“Another facet of his new role, obviously. We’ll have to get used to it.
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