Liverpool legend Jurgen Klopp leaves fans fuming with new job – 'He's dead to me'

Jurgen Klopp has angered fans at his former club Borussia Dortmund after taking a job as Red Bull’s ‘Global Head of Soccer’.

Clubs in Germany have a rocky relationship with the Red Bull group’s representative team in the Bundesliga, RB Leipzig due to the league’s famed anti-corporate and fan-centric culture. Fans of Dortmund, a club that styles itself on authenticity, contains a supporter base that often rallies against the dominance afforded by cash-rich clubs like staunch rivals Bayern Munich and Leipzig.

Klopp transformed Dortmund’s fortunes when he joined as manager in 2008. He went on to secure back-to-back Bundesliga titles for the Black and Yellows, stealing away the crown from Bayern, as well as winning them the DFB-Pokal Cup and the DFL-Supercup.

Dortmund also narrowly lost out on the Champions League after they were beaten 2-1 by Bayern in the final at Wembley in 2013. Klopp then went on to achieve enormous success with his next club, Liverpool.

After winning several trophies including the Premier League and Champions League in a celebrated nine-year stint, the 57-year-old shocked the football world by stepping down from the Reds during the summer. Despite previously hinting he would be set for a long break, having turned down offers to manage elsewhere, Klopp has now stunned fans by revealing his new role at the Red Bull corporation.

The Dortmund faithful, as well as many fans across Germany, have taken against the energy drink giant after they funded RB Leipzig to highly successful levels in the Bundesliga. Leipzig are even known as ‘the most hated team in the Bundesliga’ following their inception in 2009 and are one of five football teams owned by the Austrian conglomerate.

Thanks to their hefty backing they are now regular participants in the Champions League, have won the DFB-Pokal twice and have even finished runners-up in Germany’s top division on two occasions.

Taking to a Dortmund fan forum, many die-hard supporters have voiced their dismay with Klopp’s latest career choice. One fan dramatically declared: “Jürgen Klopp is dead. Well, not the person, but the memory I had of him until this morning. The man was a BVB legend. He is no longer that.”

While another chimed in to say: “After Mainz, BVB and Liverpool, that will be a black mark on your CV. It’s a shame for football.” A third was in no mood for bargaining, saying: “I don’t care at all about all the arguments about how understandable Klopp’s move to RB is. The fact is that the construct is the worst “club” in Germany.”

Amidst the anger, there was one fan who gave the club’s former boss the benefit of the doubt. They said: “Sure, I would have liked to have had another employer for Kloppo, but I can – and I’m surprised myself – understand the move to some extent. He no longer has the desire or energy for the 24/7 job as a club coach, fair enough.”

Anger was not just reserved for Dortmund fans either as some Liverpool fans also shared their sorrow. One fan took to X to compare Klopp’s move to that of Jordan Henderson’s ill-fated switch to the Saudi Pro League, saying: “Klopp going to Red Bull feels like Henderson going to the Saudi league” while another posted: “Klopp being a sell-out wasn’t on my bingo card.”

Klopp will take up the roleat Red Bull from January 1, 2025, which means he will work once more alongside Red Bull Salzburg manager Pep Lijnders – once his assistant manager at Liverpool.

Speaking on his new appointment, the former Mainz boss said: “After almost 25 years on the sideline, I could not be more excited to get involved in a project like this. 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.”