One of Jurgen Klopp’s former Borussia Dortmund stalwarts has branded his decision to join Red Bull as “sh*t”.
Having departed Liverpool at the end of the 2023/24 season, it looked as though Klopp would be set to take a lengthy sabbatical from work. However, just months later, it has been confirmed, Klopp will become Red Bull’s Head of Global Soccer, which will see him oversee all of the clubs they run – including Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.
While it is not a managerial job and is likely to be far less stressful than his previous role with Liverpool, the decision to join Red Bull has not gone down well with fans of Dortmund. Fans of Bundesliga sides not named RB Leipzig are usually very hostile to the Red Bull owned club.
READ MORE: ‘Dead to me’ – Jurgen Klopp’s new job leaves fans raging as Liverpool legend joins Red Bull
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They view the Red Bull owned side with contempt due to the belief they stand opposed to the values of the majority of Bundesliga sides – which meant that when Dortmund fans found out about their former manager’s move, they were left seething.
“Jurgen 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,” wrote one fan on a Dortmund forum. Another added: “After Mainz, BVB and Liverpool, that will be a black mark on your CV. It’s a shame for football.”
(Image: Getty)
(Image: Getty)
One individual who admits he owes a lot to Klopp is ex-Dortmund winger Kevin Grosskreutz, who was part of the German’s two Bundesliga title winning sides during his time in charge of the club.
However, despite the affection he still holds in his heart for his former boss, Grosskreutz has also admitted he will tell Klopp to his face that his decision to join Red Bull was a “sh*t” one.
Speaking to the Viertelstunde Fußball podcast, Grosskreutz said of Klopp’s decision: “I woke up, I had 30 messages on my phone and I thought: What happened? I thought I was dreaming, then I hoped it was fake news.
“Two hours later it was official. It was pretty shocking and sad. Somehow it hasn’t really sunk in yet.” I don’t think anyone was expecting it. It’s very, very strange and I can’t really comprehend it yet. It’s like shock!
“Nevertheless, he’s a friend of mine and I owe him a lot. And I will always be grateful to him. As a football fan, I think it sucks, to put it bluntly! But as a friend, you have to accept decisions being made. When we meet, I’ll still tell him personally that I think it’s sh*t that he does something like that!”