Jürgen Klopp started his new position as Red Bull’s Head of Global Soccer, saying he was excited to be working in a multi-club, multi-sports set-up for the first time, and with a pledge to deliver: fire on the pitch, entertainment for the fans and a long-term vision for the clubs under his leadership.
“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)” Klopp said at the Hangar-7 exhibition space in Salzburg, where he made his first media appearance since assuming the role at the start of January.
He added: “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.”
Klopp began his coaching career with Mainz 05 in Germany in 2001, going on to find success at Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool. Among his collection of titles are the Premier League, Bundesliga, Champions League, FA Cup, DFB-Pokal, and FIFA Club World Cup.
His new role is his first since bidding an emotional farewell to Liverpool in May 2024, and will call on his experience to provide strategic vision to Red Bull Soccer.
“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.”
Describing himself as a “sports person first and foremost”, Klopp also said he was eager to learn from Red Bull’s involvement with multiple sports and athletes and looked forward to making a long-term impact across the clubs and on the global game as a whole.
“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.”
Klopp has a long track record of putting his trust in young players, and he is eager to continue his work in developing talent at Red Bull.
“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 also renowned for what he once referred to as “heavy metal” football. He insists that a similar kind of intensity will be essential on the pitch at Red Bull, but he’s mindful that a ‘one size fits all’ approach won’t necessarily work at clubs in different parts of the world.
“You cannot just put one idea on different cultures,” he explained. “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’s involvement in multiple sports and with athletes across the world means Klopp can look forward to meeting and sharing ideas with some of the most talented, innovative and successful sportspeople around. Among the inspiring individuals Klopp is eager to meet is Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen, who clinched his fourth successive world title in 2024.
“There are so many things to talk about!” Klopp said. “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.”
Watch the Replay of the Press Conference on Red Bull TV HERE
Image courtesy of Red Bull & Sky
