"I hope you understand me...."
It was the inner work of former Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp. Klopp broke his silence and returned to the scene. Surprisingly, it was an administrative position, not a director. Red Bull, an energy drink company, said on its website on the 9th (Korea Standard Time) that "Klopp will be the global head of Soccer at Red Bull from January 1, 2025. It is his first appointment since he quit Liverpool." "Klopp's mission is to oversee Red Bull Global Soccer's network" " he said. "He is not involved in the clubs' daily schedules, but he will present a strategic vision and develop Red Bull's philosophy. In addition, it will contribute to the training of player scouts and head coaches."
Oliver Mintzlaf, CEO of Red Bull's corporate projects and investments division, said "Klopp will oversee Red Bull's international football, and we are very proud of this appointment in terms of being the strongest recruit in Red Bull's football history" "Klopp is one of the greatest and most influential people in football in the world, a man of great skill and charisma. As the head of the national football team, he said, "It will be a game changer for participation in international football and for the continued development of the club in key areas. We look forward to further developing the club collectively and individually."
Klopp said "I couldn't be happier to be part of this project after nearly 25 years of football" expressed his feelings. "My role has changed, but my passion for football and the people who make it hasn't changed. I want to join Red Bull at a global level to develop, enhance and support the incredible football talent we have"You can achieve this in a variety of ways, from leveraging Red Bull's elite assets and experiences to learning from other sports and other industries. Together we will discover what is possible. My role is primarily a mentor role for coaches and management, but ultimately it will be a special and forward-looking part of an organization."
Klopp's choice has led to strong criticism in Germany. Klopp is famous for his 'Romantic Director'. Klopp has repeatedly valued football legitimacy and humanity. Klopp criticized the 2017 model 'multi-club"I'm a football romantic, and I like the tradition of footballOnly two clubs in Germany sing 'You'll Never Walk Alone' before a game. Mainz and Dortmund" he once said. Klopp, who opened the era of success even after taking office in Liverpool, stepped down nicely, keeping his loyalty to Liverpool despite the strong courts of big clubs. Most recently, he received a love call from the U.S. national team ahead of the U.S.-China World Cup, but ended as a coach", he refused.
As Klopp joined hands with the Red Bull division, which has taken the lead in the commercialization of the soccer world, of course, fans will not respond well. The Red Bull division owns clubs such as Leipzig in the German Bundesliga, Salzburg in Austria, the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer (MLS), and Oiya Ardiza in Japan. Among them, Leipzig is the most hated club in Germany. Each German club must own more than 51% of its ownership by fans or members. The so-called '50+1' principle. As a result, fans' voices are reflected in the club's important decision-making, such as ticket prices.
However, Leipzig is accused of cleverly violating this principle. Red Bull changed their club name to 'RB Leipzig' in 2009 when they acquired SSV Marcranstedt, a German fifth division club. Rivals such as Dortmund point out that Red Bull is in fact in control of Leipzig. The number of members with voting rights is intentionally reduced to 17, and those members are directly or indirectly related to Red Bull. In Dortmund, 140,000 people have voting rights alone. On top of that, public opinion was even more infested, explaining that RB was the underdog of Lazenbal, not Red Bull. In Germany, putting a parent company in the club name is considered to undermine legitimacy.
Germany's Berliner Zeitung criticized Klopp on the 9th, saying, `Why Klopp is moving to Red Bull and destroying his records.' Berliner Zeitung has been described as an icon, father, etc. in his previous job as a director. Everyone everywhere made him an icon. But now his position is in danger. The reaction on social media after his appointment to Red Bull is even more so. That he will be the new head of Red Bull is as amazing as that Marco Reus will be the manager of Schalke 04. But it happened, and now the fans are depressed.
Then 'Normal One's soul arm became a circle. At the time of his appointment to Liverpool, he described himself as a normal one. This accessibility was very important to Klopp. Nor did he get tired of criticizing the commercialism that prevails in football. But now he has thrown all this out the window. With the Red Bull transfer, he sold his soul and provided solid evidence that football was nothing more than a business away from fans, not a romance'.
The Bild's Christian Polk told the BBC that `Klopp has been agonizing since May'`. Now in Germany 'Did he sell his soul?There's a debate going on about '." Dortmund fans will be even more shocked because Leipzig is called a "can club without history" "But I would say no. Eventually, it will subside in about a month. In this country, the love for former coach Klopp means he can do pretty much anything."
Some even mocked Klopp's remarks in February that he would leave Liverpool, saying, `At the time, he felt exhausted, and if he drank enough Red Bull drinks, he would no longer run out of energy.' For now, the reason why Klopp chose Red Bull is that money seems the most obvious. Reporter Florian Flettenberg, who works in Germany 'Sky Sports', said on his SNS on the 12th that 'Klopp will receive an annual salary of about 10 million to 12 million euros as Red Bull's new global head of football. He chose this job himself, and at the moment, he has no intention of returning to the manager's post. At the end of his career with Liverpool, Klopp received an annual salary of 15 million euros. It's a smaller amount than it was at the time, but it's a pretty big amount because you don't have to work every day and it's a relatively less stressful position. The German national team coach's contract with Red Bull can be terminated if a specific proposal is made that he can accept. There is no buyout clause, but there is a termination option. With mutual respect coming and going, all officials have reached an oral agreement,' he added.
Klopp is Germany's proud master. Klopp, who became manager through Mainz in 2001, attracted attention by winning promotion to the Bundesliga in the 2003-2004 season, and later took over at Dortmund to end Bayern Munich's solo career. He won two consecutive Bundesliga titles in the 2010-2011 season and the 2011-2012 season, and finished second in the European Champions League in the 2012-2013 season. After moving to Liverpool, Liverpool won the English Premier League, which Liverpool so longed for. He also won the European Champions League.
The public opinion of fans toward Germany's proud master was virtually mixed. German Sport 1 conducted an urgent questionnaire 'What do you think about Jurgen Klopp joining Red Bull?' 'I expected more from him! I was disappointed with his move' is 43%, 'That's a good decision! He achieved everything as a coach, with a tight 41 per cent. Disappointment was slightly ahead, but compared to the previous German media blasts, public opinion about Klopp does not appear to be that bad. 'I have no thoughts' was 16%.
Klopp recently appeared on Tony Cross's podcast, saying, `I really don't know how I can satisfy all the fans.' Then "I'm 57 years old. I will be able to work for a few more years. But it's hard to imagine taking over as a director right now"I didn't think I'd do anything from the beginning. In the meantime, I received an offer from Red Bull, and I thought it was a very good opportunity."
vanbasten@sportschosun.com
