After stepping down from his role at Liverpool in 2024, Jurgen Klopp has since transitioned into a new chapter as Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull. However, despite persistent speculation surrounding a managerial comeback, the iconic coach has made it clear he has no desire to return to the sidelines.
Now 58, Klopp ended his nine-year tenure at Anfield at the conclusion of the 2023/24 season, having led the club through a historic era that saw Liverpool claim their first Premier League title in three decades, as well as triumphs in the Champions League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup among other major trophies.
During his time on Merseyside, Klopp oversaw 491 matches, winning 299 and drawing 108 — a win rate of 60.9%. His success places him as the fourth-most decorated manager in Liverpool’s history, following Kenny Dalglish, Bill Shankly, and Bob Paisley.
After taking a short break from football, Klopp returned to the game in a different capacity, joining Red Bull — the organization behind clubs like RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg — in January 2025.
Now nine months into his new role and nearly 16 months removed from his Liverpool farewell, Klopp says he has no longing for his past life in the dugout, despite a 23-year career as a manager.
In an interview with The Athletic, Klopp was asked whether he found himself glued to the television during last season’s matches. He replied: “Not. At. All. I was super happy with the way Liverpool performed. I watched some games. But it is not like, ‘Oh, it’s Saturday!'”
“I didn’t know when games started. I was just out.
“I played sports. We enjoyed life, spent time with the grandkids, completely normal stuff, knowing I will work again. But knowing as well, that I don’t want to work as a coach anymore.”
When pressed on whether this was a definitive end to his coaching career, Klopp added: “That’s what I think. But you don’t know. I’m 58. If I started again at 65, everybody will say, ‘You said you’ll never do it again’ Er, sorry, I thought 100 per cent (when I said it)! That is what I think now. I don’t miss anything.”
Rumors had recently linked Klopp with a potential return to coaching via a move to Saudi side Al-Ittihad, especially after former Manchester United star Laurent Blanc was sacked just four games into the season.
According to Saudi outlet arriyadiyah.com, the Jeddah-based club saw Klopp as their ideal candidate, believing his dynamic style would suit their squad perfectly.
Though Klopp is not interested in returning to management, he’s enjoying his new role with Red Bull — even amid backlash from supporters of his former club Mainz, where he spent over a decade as both a player and a coach.
“I knew it (would come),” Klopp said of the critical reaction and protest banners from some Mainz fans. “I’m German. I know what people in Germany think about the involvement of Red Bull in football. They love Red Bull. In all departments. But in football? No. So whatever, they want to do it that way.
“Funnily enough, it was only in Germany where the reaction was like that. But that’s fine – no problem. Everybody can think what they want. You just have to accept that I do what I want as long as I don’t hurt anybody.
“By the way, I don’t expect people to remember what I did for a specific club. The people in Mainz in the stadium now… they were little kids when I was there (1990–2001 as a player, then seven years as a coach), so their parents had to tell them who I was. So that’s how it is, it is absolutely fine.”
“I don’t expect everybody to like what I do. I have to do it for the right reasons — for my right reasons. By the way, in Liverpool, people are overly happy that I do what I do because I am not coaching another team.”
