Jürgen Klopp: The football romantics were too naive for a long time

Opinion

The news hit football romantics like a stab in the heart: Jürgen Klopp will be “Global Head of Soccer” at Red Bull, the epitome of the modern football business, from January 2025. “Sky” and “Bild” reported this on Wednesday morning before the energy drink manufacturer officially confirmed it.

So far, Klopp has only worked for traditional clubs. He began his professional coaching career in Mainz. He achieved legendary status at Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool FC. Klopp himself ruled out the possibility of him going to FC Bayern at some point in July at a coaching conference in Würzburg: “I’ve already coached the best clubs in the world,” he said.

And now the 57-year-old is dedicating himself to a new task at Red Bull? “Kloppo” and Red Bull – that doesn’t fit! Or is it?

Outdated “Pöhler” image

Klopp’s image of the honest hard worker on the sidelines is now likely to be crumbling, especially in Dortmund circles. At BVB they had missed “Kloppo” with his “Pöhler” cap since he took that hat off and moved on to Liverpool in 2015. But in retrospect, many Borussia fans would have preferred a commitment to Bayern rather than his current move.

At Bundesliga games against RB Leipzig, Dortmund supporters regularly wave banners criticizing the “construct” Red Bull. In their perception, the two clubs have completely different philosophies: workers’ club versus company. Brinkhoff’s beer versus energy drink. But they ignore the fact that Borussia Dortmund was the first football club in Germany to go public in October 2000.

The many faces of Jürgen Klopp

“If you’re seriously wondering about Klopp, you should watch three minutes of advertising. He’ll do almost anything for money,” writes a user on “X”, referring to the partnership with Deutsche Vermögensberatung (DVAG).

In fact, there is hardly a Bundesliga game where Jürgen Klopp doesn’t grin from the screen into the living room during half-time. Currently in a DVAG commercial as a guru, taxi driver or dentist – life paths that he could have chosen as an alternative to becoming a football coach. Financial advice has come under criticism: media such as “” have reported in the past about cult-like practices and “brainwashing” in insurance sales.

Many football fans have so far ignored the fact that Klopp is still advertising for DVAG. It didn’t fit the image of the down-to-earth, honest guy that most people had of him.

It’s not just the money that’s attractive

Klopp is not the first to receive criticism in German football for a move to Red Bull. A parallel to Max Eberl, now sports director at FC Bayern Munich, cannot be dismissed. Eberl resigned as sports director in tears in January 2022 after 23 years at Borussia Mönchengladbach – due to the high level of psychological stress. The fact that he was hired as sports director at RB Leipzig in December of the same year was offended by many Gladbach fans.

Klopp also left Liverpool early after nine years because he no longer had the energy necessary for the job. The fact that he is going to Red Bull after his short break from football will not only be because of the money, as Klopp is likely to have accumulated enough of it as a Premier League coach and DVAG face. Those responsible for RB are apparently simply good at convincing top managers and coaches.

And Klopp’s new job is one of the most exciting in professional football and suits his charismatic nature. “I want to develop, improve and support the incredible football talents we have,” says the 57-year-old about his move. Football is a business and Klopp is a businessman. It’s time for the romantics of sport to come to this realization too.