Klopp's Red Bull Experiment Could Be Over Already
Reports from Austria suggest Jürgen Klopp may leave his Red Bull director of football role at the end of this season, despite having a contract until 2029.
Jürgen Klopp’s post-Liverpool adventure might be hitting the buffers sooner than anyone expected — and the football world is already starting to buzz about what comes next.
The Austrian whispers
Austrian newspaper Salzburger Nachrichten have dropped a bit of a bomb, suggesting Klopp’s time as Red Bull’s global head of football could come to an end when this season wraps up. That’s a big deal given the German only joined the energy drink empire in 2025 and is technically contracted until 2029.
The suggestion is that the sporting development across Red Bull’s clubs hasn’t gone the way the organisation had hoped since Klopp came on board. Whether that’s fair on him or not is another debate entirely, but when results and progress aren’t where they need to be, contracts have a funny way of becoming flexible.
Worth noting: as recently as late 2025, Red Bull’s CEO Oliver Mintzlaf was publicly backing Klopp, stressing there was no exit clause in his deal and that his commitment was plain to see. Funny how quickly the narrative can shift.
What were his other options?
Klopp’s agent Marc Kosicke has been pretty candid about just how much interest there was in his client before the Red Bull move happened:
- The USA national team job was on the table
- England were keen
- Germany would’ve come calling had Julian Nagelsmann not already been in post
- Even Chelsea and Manchester United made approaches — despite Klopp making it crystal clear he wouldn’t manage another English club
That last bit is the one that’ll get the Premier League lot going, won’t it. Klopp categorically ruled out a return to England, yet both Chelsea and United still tried their luck. Can’t blame them, really.
So what happens now?
If Klopp does walk away from Red Bull — or gets quietly shown the door — the queue of clubs wanting a word with him will form almost instantly. A few things worth keeping in mind:
- He’s had a proper breather from the dugout. Over a year away from matchday pressure.
- His reputation, despite this Red Bull chapter being a bit flat, remains absolutely top drawer.
- International jobs could come back into the picture, or a big club rebuild could tempt him.
The Germany job is probably the dream scenario for most neutrals — Klopp coming home to manage his country. But nothing’s concrete yet, and the man himself hasn’t said a word publicly.
The bottom line
This could all come to nothing. Clubs and their executives say one thing in December and do another in June — that’s football. But the Austrian press don’t seem to be treating this as idle gossip, and when a figure of Klopp’s stature is potentially back on the market, everyone sits up a bit straighter.
Watch this space. It’s about to get very interesting.