Klopp takes over Red Bull: Watzke regrets the end of the talks

Jürgen Klopp, the charismatic football manager, begins his new role as "Head of Global Soccer" in the Red Bull cosmos on January 1, 2025, leaving Borussia Dortmund behind. Hans-Joachim Watzke, the CEO of Borussia Dortmund, commented in an interview with the sport picture about the eventful relationship between him and Klopp. "I am and will always remain his friend," said Watzke and emphasized Klopp's significant merits for BVB. But an important topic of conversation will be avoided in the future: "The talks about Borussia Dortmund will no longer be possible," says Watzke. Klopp, who was a coach in Dortmund from 2008 to 2015 and celebrated numerous successes with the club, including the 2011 championship and the Double 2012, decided to continue his way in a different environment.

The step into the role at Red Bull means that Klopp will now be responsible for the elite clubs such as RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg as well as for several international teams. Watzke emphasized that Red Bull has a "significantly greater financial strength and a completely different structure" than BVB, and realizes that Klopp is looking for a "more global story". "It is a completely different thing whether you are doing a project with five or six clubs as a kind of supervisor or is responsible in a single club," said Watzke and expressed that Klopp decided on a broader challenge.

A new era begins

Klopp's decision not to return to Dortmund did not come as a surprise. Watzke stated that they had already spoken about a possible return: "Jürgen knows very well that he could almost have chosen his job at Borussia Dortmund." But Klopp decided to lead several clubs under one roof instead of leading a club as sole responsibility, as he had done in the past. This development marks the end of an era in which the conversations between Watzke and Klopp played a central role over BVB. "I just regret that I can no longer talk to him about Borussia Dortmund," sums up Watzke and looks back on the outgoing time with a touch of melancholy, while Klopp looks at his new challenge.