Jurgen Klopp defends his decision to join Red Bull after backlash from German fans
The former Liverpool and Dortmund manager says he ‘didn’t want to step on anybody’s toes’ after joining the drinks company as operations head
Jurgen Klopp has defended his decision to head up Red Bull’s group of football clubs, saying he “didn’t want to step on anybody’s toes”, after his decision prompted a backlash from fans of his former teams in Germany.
From January 1, 2025, Klopp is taking over as the drinks company’s head of global football in what was widely seen as a surprise move. He will oversee Red Bull’s football operations, which include RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg and New York Red Bulls, among others.
It will be his first job after leaving Liverpool at the end of last season, after deciding to take a break. He was expected to take another coaching job in the future and was repeatedly linked with the position at the Germany national team.
“I didn’t want to step on anybody’s toes, definitely not, and personally I love all of my ex-clubs,” Klopp said in an interview released on Wednesday on a podcast hosted by former Real Madrid and Germany midfielder Toni Kroos.
Klopp suggested any decision he made to coach another club would also have disappointed some fans.
“I really don’t know what exactly I could have done for everyone to be happy,” he said.
Red Bull, and especially its Leipzig team, are widely resented by many German football fans, who see the drinks company as an unwelcome corporate presence trying to buy success.
