Jurgen Klopp slammed over new job after leaving Liverpool - 'he's sold his soul'

Jurgen Klopp's choice of new employer has not gone down particularly well with fans of his previous clubs, after the Liverpool legend agreed to join Red Bull as its Global Head of Soccer.

The former Reds boss has been out of work since leaving Liverpool at the end of last season but will continue his journey in soccer from January next year.

Red Bull owns five football teams, with three high-profile ones in RB Leipzig, New York Red Bulls and Red Bull Salzburg. Outlining Klopp's responsibilities in the role, Red Bull said in a statement: "Klopp will not be involved in the clubs' day-to-day operations but will focus on supporting the sports directors in advancing the Red Bull philosophy. He will also leverage his extensive network to aid in scouting top talent and contribute to the training and development of coaches."

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RB Leipzig is a hugely disliked team among rival fans in Germany due its ownership structure, and the move has not gone down well with fans of Mainz and Borussia Dortmund in particular. Klopp spent seven years at each club.

RB Leipzig didn't exist as a club until 2009, when Red Bull took control of fifth-tier SSV Markranstadt, then changed the team's name as well as the colour of its kit. With the help of massive investment, RB Leipzig soared up the leagues and was competing in the Champions League within 10 years.

In German football, the importance of the link between a club and its fans cannot be overstated, and Leipzig is viewed as a club that does not adhere to these principles. Although RB Leipzig technically adheres to the Bundesliga's 50+1 rule, whereby a club's fans must own at least 51 per cent of the voting shares, Leipzig got around this by only issuing a small number of shares, buying 49 per cent of them and, as ESPN reported, pricing the remaining shares prohibitively and choosing who could invest.

To see Klopp, who has just departed a club that is known for its socialist values in Liverpool, accept a role in the Red Bull set-up has not gone down well with fans who previously admired the German.

Freelance Bundesliga reporter Archie Rhind-Tutt revealed some of the messages that he had received from Dortmund supporters in the wake of the news. Posting on X, he wrote: "If you want an idea of how this is going down in Dortmund… a flavour of the comments from BVB fans to me this morning: Football is dead; He’s absolutely dead to me; That makes me sick."

One German podcaster wrote: "I have something positive from the Klopp message for you: In Dortmund, it is now finally possible to emotionally close the Jürgen Klopp era. No more nostalgic moaning that is hindering the current sporting process."

Meanwhile, a Dortmund fan wrote: "Klopp has always presented himself as a traditionalist and someone with certain values and morals, and in this context, signing with RB after Dortmund and Liverpool says it all."