Jurgen Klopp has officially started his new role as Red Bull’s Head of Global Soccer, with the former Liverpool manager looking forward to working in a multi-club, multi-sports set-up for the first time.
With excitement coursing through his veins, he made a pledge to deliver: fire on the pitch, entertainment for the fans, and a long-term vision for the clubs under his leadership.
Jurgen Klopp promises big things at Red Bull
On January 14, at the Hangar-7 exhibition Space in Salzburg, Austria, Jurgen Klopp made a media appearance, where he radiated enthusiasm at the prospect of what’s to come.
He beamed: “I want people to see us playing and without reading the name on the shirt, they should feel it – they should know (we’re Red Bull).
“What I want to do is develop football – develop football for our clubs, for our players, for our talents, but for football itself as well. Somebody has to take care of that. So yes, helping football, and, in the same moment, being successful with Red Bull in the long term is super appealing to me.”
In his esteemed coaching career, the charismatic star amassed a proven track record of success. With Mainz 05, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, he compiled an awe-inspiring resume, winning the Premier League, Bundesliga, Champions League, FA Cup, DFB-Pokal, and FIFA Club World Cup.
Therefore, with his time at Anfield now behind him, this new challenge of providing strategic vision to Red Bull Soccer is one he’ll undoubtedly relish.
The 57-year-old enthused: “I’ve been a leader for the last three decades, but I want to listen, I want to feel, I want to learn, I want to understand what the people did so far because I can tell you they all did a brilliant job so far. It’s not that we’re starting from scratch. But to bring it all together, I think that’s a real challenge, to be honest, and that’s what we try to do.”
Jurgen Klopp is relishing in a new challenge at Red Bull
Despite having already achieved so much, the self-described ‘Sports person first and foremost’ is looking forward to the opportunity to learn from Red Bull’s involvement with multiple sports and athletes and making a long-term impact across the clubs as well as on the global game as a whole.
He explained: “When you’re in the job, you have no time for that because you play every three days, and it’s just winning, winning, winning, or dealing with defeat. So, now I’m free of that, I have time and energy for all the other stuff. That’s why it was an easy decision for me. It’s a sports decision, and I always loved the Red Bull sports idea. It’s exciting, it’s adventurous, it’s innovative, and I want to be part of that, and now I am.”
Throughout his time managing some of the biggest clubs in world football, Klopp was renowned for putting his faith in young players, giving the next generation an opportunity to reach their full potential. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that he intends to continue developing the stars of the future at Red Bull.
The legend exclaimed: “I always had this kind of idea about making people better, putting your arms under their wings, to really make them better. That was always my idea, so, that’s no different. The only thing I did before was I always worked with one club, and now we have a few more.
“In my mind, we want to be special, and I really want to help the people to live that.”
Klopp is famed for what he once referred to as ‘Heavy metal’ football, with the Stuttgart-born icon determined to inject a similar kind of intensity on the pitch at Red Bull, while simultaneously bearing in mind that there’s no ‘One size fits all’ approach.
He emphasised: “You cannot just put one idea on different cultures. You have to feel what’s right for that. What I said before: I want us to be more intense. (…) I want people to see us playing (and) without reading the name on the shirt, they should feel it; they should know it. That’s really lively. So, yeah, there will be some fire, I’d say.”
Red Bull has involvement with some of the greatest talents in all of sport, with Klopp keen to start sharing his ideas with a plethora of legends, including Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen, who clinched his fourth successive title in 2024.
The managerial genius concluded: “There are so many things to talk about. Not just how focused he is, but all kinds of things. It’s really crazy. I would love to spend time with him to understand how he can do that under the threat of 300 miles an hour in a car and still be in his absolute best mindset. Super interesting.”
Featured Image Credit: Red Bull
