Klopp is Red Bull’s ‘strongest ever signing’

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 9 Oct 2024 05:04 CDT
• 2 min read

Jurgen Klopp’s appointment as Red Bull’s Head of Global Soccer has seen the former Liverpool manager hailed by his new employers as the “strongest signing” in the history of the brand.

Klopp stepped down as Liverpool boss in the summer to enjoy a break from football management and has instead stepped into a strategic role with the controversial soft drinks brand.

His role will be to oversee key decisions at all the clubs in the Red Bull group. As such, he will have tremendous power but Oliver Mintzlaff, the CEO of Corporate Projects and Investments, is confident he has got the right man.

In a statement published on the company’s website, he said: “We are very proud of this outstanding and certainly the strongest signing in Red Bull's soccer history. Jurgen 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. We are hoping for valuable and decisive impulses in key areas to make the clubs even better, both collectively and individually.”

Klopp on Red Bull job

Klopp’s decision to join Red Bull will raise eyebrows in Germany given the corporate nature of the club, which has caused huge controversy in the country.

Nevertheless, he is looking forward to getting started on 1 January.

“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.”