It’s been a summer of change at Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp stepped down as manager at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.
The German’s contract ran until the end of the 2025-26 campaign, but he decided to part ways with the Reds two years in advance, citing fatigue as one of the main reasons behind his decision.
Liverpool named Arne Slot as his successor and also made wholesale changes to their hierarchy as Micheal Edwards returned as FSG’s Director of Football, while Richard Hughes was appointed as the club’s Sporting Director.
While Klopp initially signaled his desire to take a break for at least a year, he dominated the headlines earlier this week when he was announced as Red Bull’s Global Head of Soccer.
And if reports from Germany are to be believed, the German agreed a deal with the Austrian conglomerate while he was still in charge of Liverpool.
Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp had agreement with Red Bull as early as 2022According to German publication TZ, Klopp verbally agreed to join the Red Bull network in 2022 after a private meeting with Dietrich Mateschitz, who co-founded the company in 1984.
The pair reportedly met in Austria at Mateschitz’s Villa, where the Liverpool boss gave his word to the 78-year-old, who passed away a few weeks later.
The same report confirms beyond reasonable doubt that the news the world now knows was known to Klopp and select members of the Red Bull hierarchy two years ago as they also relayed a quote from Helmut Marko, RB’s chief motorsport advisor.
He said to TZ: “It’s unbelievable how such a mega deal could remain secret for so long. That would never have been possible in Formula 1.
Klopp has Germany clause in Red Bull contractThe German is officially set to start his new role on January 1st, 2025 and has a clause in his contract that allows him to manage the German national team in the future if they part ways with Julian Nagelsmann.
There has been an air of inevitability around Klopp managing his country for several years now, but with Germany doing so well under Nagelsmann and the former Liverpool boss agreeing a new role, it remains unlikely to happen for the time being.
However, one thing is for sure – Klopp’s time on the touchline is done unless Germany come calling for him in the future.
