Former BVB professional Kevin Großkreutz reacted with incomprehension to his then coach Jürgen Klopp‘s commitment to Red Bull. “Somehow it still hasn’t really sunk in for me. I was hoping it was fake news. It was a shock, sad in a way,” said the 2014 world champion in the “Viertelstunde Fußball” podcast. A corresponding excerpt was published on the social media platform Instagram.
“As a fan, I no longer have to watch him in front of the Süd (Note d. Red. South stand in the Dortmund stadium) see. When we meet, I will tell him personally that I think it’s shit that he does something like that,” said Großkreutz. But despite his displeasure, the 36-year-old wants to hold on to his bond with Klopp, under whose direction he celebrated two German championships in 2011 and 2012. “But he will always remain a friend of mine, that’s just a fact. He’s always welcome at home.”
Klopp, the former coach of Liverpool, Dortmund and Mainz, will be the football boss of the Austrian group Red Bull, which also includes the clubs Leipzig, Salzburg, New York, Bragantino (Brazil) and Omiya Ardija (Japan), at the beginning of the new year . The news of the 57-year-old’s future job at the energy drink manufacturer caused a lot of negative reactions.
Klopp from January at Red Bull
With the 57-year-old’s commitment as Head of Global Soccer, the beverage and media company headquartered in Fuschl am See, Austria, achieved an absolute coup. The fact that – as has already been reported – company founder Dietrich Mateschitz is said to have convinced Klopp to come to Red Bull in 2022 has “no basis whatsoever and is a fairy tale,” Mintzlaff clarified: “As far as I know, Jürgen Klopp has his contract with Red Bull in 2022 Liverpool FC extended.” In fact, he signed a new contract with the Reds at the end of April.
The former coach of FSV Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool will start work as head of football at Red Bull on January 1st next year.
