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Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, having stepped away from the Anfield helm last season, has taken on a new adventure with Red Bull as their global head of soccer, despite the hot debates surrounding their contentious multi-club ownership model.
Not one to shy away from a challenge, Klopp is also hopeful that his new role will allow him to sit down with Formula One sensation and Red Bull poster boy Max Verstappen. In his own words, Klopp can’t wait to dive into a conversation with the racing superstar.
“There are so many things to talk about!” he told a press conference. “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.”
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But the burning question was whether Jurgen had any designs on making a managerial comeback. Cutting through the speculation with typical candor, Klopp put such ideas firmly to bed, stating emphatically: “I will not be the coach of a Red Bull team; that is a clear commitment.”
“I guarantee that I will not be a coach,” he said. “But I am probably the only person in this room who will be asked where I might be in four or five years — nobody has a clue where they will be in five years.”
Despite being relatively new to his role, Klopp isn’t shy about stirring things up. He launched into a tirade against the forthcoming Club World Cup, which includes Red Bull Salzburg as participants.
Jurgen Klopp is Red Bull’s new global head of soccer. -Credit:KERSTIN JOENSSON/AFP via Getty Images
Regarding this revamped competition, Klopp was clear: “I know Salzburg are playing the Club World Cup, but do I have to say I love the competition? I don’t. I still don’t. I think it’s useless.”
In light of numerous injuries plaguing European football, he suggested: “We now have a lot of injuries in European football. At some point we have to reduce the amount of games.”
He finished with a potent remark: “Sometimes the less often you see something you more you love it. It is clear, [fewer] games or bigger squads. There is no other solution.”
Liverpool.com says: It feels like the right role for Klopp, who has navigated the controversy well so far. For him personally, this is a position far less taxing than coaching, but where he still gets to be involved in the elite level of the game. It seems like a logical step, though the disappointment, particularly from Borussia Dortmund fans, is understandable.