Five months after coaching his last game for Liverpool, Jürgen Klopp joined Red Bull as the new Head of Global Soccer.
The position brings Klopp back into the soccer world in a much different capacity. The 57-year-old will oversee Red Bull's network of soccer clubs. Instead of participating in day-to-day activities, though, Klopp will support sporting directors and Red Bull's global scouting efforts. He will also use his experience to help train and develop coaches.
The former Liverpool boss expressed his excitement and passion for the next stage of his career.
“After almost 25 years on the sideline, I could not be more excited to get involved in a project like this,” he said. “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," he continued. "There are many ways that we can do this from using the elite knowledge and experience that Red Bull possesses to learning from other sports and other industries."
“Together we can discover what is possible. 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 organization that is unique, innovative and forward looking. As I said, this could not excite me more," Klopp said.
Klopp brings over 23 years of coaching experience to the position. The manager started his career with Mainz 05 in 2001 before managing Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool. Klopp secured Mainz its first ever promotion to the Bundesliga, topped the German league with Dortmund and then brought the Reds to English and European glory.
When Klopp made the decision to walk away from Liverpool after the 2023–24 season, he was briefly linked with the vacant U.S. men's national team job. The coach was adamant, though, that he needed a break from the sport.
Much to the excitement of Red Bull's CEO of Corporate Projects and Investments, Oliver Mintzlaff, Klopp decided to take on a new challenge in soccer.
“We are very proud of this outstanding and certainly the strongest signing in Red Bull's soccer history,” Mintzlaff said. “Jürgen Klopp is one of the greatest and most influential figures in world soccer, with extraordinary skills and charisma."
“In his role as Head of Soccer, he will be a game changer for our involvement in international soccer and its continued development," he said. "We are hoping for valuable and decisive impulses in key areas to make the clubs even better, both collectively and individually.”
Klopp begins his new position on Jan. 1, 2025.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jurgen Klopp Named Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull.
