Jurgen Klopp lands first job after Liverpool exit
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Jurgen Klopp has landed his first job in football after leaving his post as Liverpool manager at the end of the 2023/24 Premier League season.
Klopp will now serve as the Red Bull group's 'Head of Global Soccer', consulting with the management teams for the likes of Red Bull Salzburg, RB Leipzig and New York Red Bulls.
The German's new role officially starts in January 2025, but a specific clause within his contract hints that he's got eyes on another job within the game.
Jurgen Klopp left Liverpool in 2024
The footballing world was shocked in January of this year when Klopp announced that, after nine years, he'd be stepping down as Liverpool FC manager.
The German said that he's running out of energy and felt it was time to remove himself from the Anfield dugout, with the board opting to replace him with Feyenoord's Arne Slot.
It's not turned out too badly for Liverpool, as Slot has won nine of his first 10 games in charge of the Reds, a feat that even Klopp wasn't able to accomplish when he took over in 2015.
That hasn't stopped Liverpool fans from viewing Klopp as one of their most successful ever managers, with the German delivering the Premier League title to Anfield for the first time in 2020.
Klopp turned down an offer to return to management shortly after leaving Liverpool, having been offered the US men's national team job ahead of the 2026 World Cup which will take part partially in the States.
However, the former Dortmund boss has now agreed to return to football, and will be doing so with one of his former club's rivals...
Jurgen Klopp is Red Bull's new 'Head of Global Soccer'
On October 9, it was announced that Klopp has signed a long-term contract to serve as Red Bull's 'Head of Global Soccer' a role that will see him assist with the transfer, coaching style, management choices and more for all the clubs under the group's umbrella.
In an official statement on the matter, Klopp said that he couldn't be more excited for the role which he's set to undertake from January of next year.
"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. 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 organisation that is unique, innovative and forward looking. As I said, this could not excite me more.”
The news will definitely come as music to the ears of Pep Lijnders, the current manager of Red Bull Salzburg, who was Klopp's assistant at Liverpool up until the pair both left in May 2024.
Jurgen Klopp to manage Germany next?
Also interesting is a clause in Klopp's contract with the Red Bull group, which has been reported by various journalists following the announcement of his new role.
Florian Plettenberg, one of the game's most reliable German football journalists, has stated that Klopp has a clause in his contract which allows him to leave his post as Red Bull's 'Head of Global Soccer' to become the German national team's manager, should that job become avaliable.
Additionally, Klopp has secured an exit option allowing him to become the head coach of the Germany national team in the future. As a potential successor to Julian Nagelsmann.
It remains to be seen the impact that Klopp will have on the Red Bull group, but no one can say that it isn't good to see one of the football's best managers back in the game.
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