Jürgen Klopp’s new role overseeing Red Bull’s soccer initiatives is facing significant challenges even before he officially begins. The former Liverpool manager was appointed in October to take on the position of “head of global soccer” for Red Bull’s extensive soccer network, but his start date isn’t until January 1. In the interim, the soccer empire is showing signs of distress.
The flagship club, RB Leipzig, has struggled mightily in the restructured Champions League, suffering losses in all of its matches. Additionally, their form in the German Bundesliga has been equally disappointing, with their last victory recorded in October. A particularly harsh defeat came last week against Wolfsburg, where they were beaten 5-1. Although a recent cup victory against Eintracht Frankfurt provided a slight reprieve for coach Marco Rose, the overall morale of the young team remains precarious.
RB Salzburg, the first club established under the Red Bull brand, currently sits in a lackluster fifth place in the Austrian league and has experienced four losses in five Champions League matches. Over in Brazil, Bragantino finds itself at the bottom of the league table, positioned eighteenth out of twenty teams. The only positive highlight for the Red Bull brand comes from the United States, where the New York Red Bulls are set to compete against the Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS Cup final this weekend.
Klopp has previously mentioned that he views his upcoming position more as an advisory role to coaches rather than a direct decision-maker when it comes to firing and hiring staff. However, this perspective may be put to the test if both Leipzig and Salzburg fail to demonstrate notable improvement in their performances throughout the rest of the month.
Leipzig will seek to turn things around this Saturday with a potential Bundesliga win against a struggling Holstein Kiel. However, securing even a point in their Champions League match against the formidable Aston Villa next week looks to be a daunting task. Coach Marco Rose seemed to fit well with Leipzig due to his ties to the city and previous success with Salzburg. Nonetheless, recent results have led to widespread speculation in Germany concerning potential replacements for him.
The coaching situation at Salzburg holds a personal connection for Klopp. Pep Lijnders, who was Klopp’s assistant for six years at Liverpool, joined the Austrian club in May, bringing his experience to the team’s dynamics. To add to the intriguing scenario, Salzburg has qualified for the Club World Cup set to take place in the U.S. next year, marking them as the only representative from the Red Bull consortium.
Even ahead of Klopp’s official start, there has been a shift in the hierarchy, notably with Rouven Schröder resigning from his position as sporting director at Leipzig to assume a newly created role as “managing director for sport” at Salzburg. While this change appears to be a promotion that grants him greater authority, it can also be interpreted as moving him to a less prominent landscape.
There is no indication from Klopp that he intends to return to coaching in the immediate future, despite some protests from supporters of his previous German clubs. Nevertheless, the Red Bull soccer framework has a notable history of internal leadership transitions during times of need. Ralf Rangnick, for instance, has balanced coaching stints at Leipzig while holding a director role, later transitioning to a similar position as Klopp’s upcoming one in charge of sports and soccer development for the group. The prospect of Klopp returning to the sidelines may not be as far-fetched as it seems.