Klopp drinks from a cup bearing his image, which may soon contain a drink other than coffee.Image: www.imago-images.de
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The legendary ex-Liverpool and Dortmund coach becomes head of football for clubs belonging to the Austrian drinks giant. He sold his soul to the devil.
Five words were enough for him. When Jürgen Klopp took over Liverpool FC in the fall of 2015, he gave himself a nickname. In reference to the overconfident José Mourinho, who presented himself in England as “The Special One”, Klopp said very modestly:
This sentence allowed the German to get the fans in the pocket and position himself in the Premier League. He came from Borussia Dortmund, a club which, more than many others, seems particularly close to its supporters. And he arrived at Liverpool, another undisputed “people’s club”.
In Liverpool, murals like this one remember the legendary manager.Image: keystone
Klopp was a man of emotions and humanity. He was always on the right side. And it’s almost certain that even fans of the biggest rivals wanted him to one day take the reins of their team.
The saint, the cap and the snake pit
A true leader, he excited the fans and allowed his players to reach heights. He had great success with Dortmund and Liverpool. Among the Redshe is considered a saint, because he delivered the club after 30 long years of waiting by making it become champion of England again in 2020.
But it’s not just the trophies that have made Jürgen Klopp a fan favorite. Already in Dortmund he played with his image as a normal person, for example by wearing a cap with the word Pöhler.
Across the Rhine, this expression designates a moderately gifted footballer, more hardworking than a fine technician.
This is what Klopp once was as a defender. And so he showed, with self-deprecation, that he didn’t care about the judgment of others. This cap has become a best-seller.
Hoodie and cap: Klopp was, also visually, different from most coaches.Image: imago-images.de
You could almost believe that the German was one of the last “good guys” in the world of football, this snake pit filled with money-hungry individuals, whose only goal is to win more and more.
Of the pubs and the end of romanticism
But, of course, Jürgen Klopp was no exception. He has certainly earned so much money in his clubs that our colleague Klaus Zaugg, a lover of beautiful formulas, could safely describe the 57-year-old technician as “a man who has finished building up his assets”. Added to this were countless advertising contracts, some of which included many TV spots in which Klopp appeared.
For this advertisement, this cardboard Klopp has, this time, probably not received anything. Image: www.imago-images.de
This should have served as a warning to us. But we all let ourselves be blinded by the nature of Jürgen Klopp. And we’re not talking about his second-hand car salesman’s smile, trying to pass off a wreck as a sports car. But only from his choice to join Red Bull.
Klopp fooled us all.
He leaves good to join evil, almost as if Mother Teresa had become a member of the Hells Angels (the infamous violent biker gang). He lets himself be bought by Red Bull, the last bad guy arrived in football. The German is chasing money, of which he should already have enough.
Klopp on Tuesday, when he received the Order of Merit of the State of Baden-Württemberg.Image: keystone
But Jürgen Klopp also does what many would do if they had the chance.
In fact, he is indeed a “Normal One”…
We can regret that with his decision, another part of the romanticism of football dies. And as if to top it all off, his new job title uses the American word for soccer: “Global Head of Soccer.” For Red Bull, this commitment is a big blow. Klopp arguably could have taken over any team in the world if he wanted to. After a quarter of a century as a coach, however, he looked for a new activity.
One last hope
If he works as successfully as a coach, the competition will have to roll up their sleeves. Money is no object for the energy drink maker, which made a profit of 2.4 billion last year and has set up football clubs in a bid to raise even more awareness of its brand.
But a lot of money associated with great know-how is the condition sine qua non to succeed at the highest level.
Some Internet users do not lack humor
“If only there was a drink for that”, in response to Klopp who claims, in this interview, that he “lacks energy”.
All that remains for the romantics is hope. That the German national team is sinking into crisis, that the federation is making advances towards Jürgen Klopp and that he is using his exit clause apparently agreed in his contract. And, thus, that the legendary technician returns to the bench as coach.
But even then, Klopp would no longer generate the same popular momentum as in the past. Because by joining Red Bull, he ruined his hitherto almost impeccable reputation.
Translation and adaptation into French: Yoann Graber
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