GERMANY

Germany explodes against Klopp's Red Bull decision

Fans of Mainz were keen to get their feelings across after Jurgen Klopp’s announcement that he will join Red Bull.

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Mainz fans expressed their outrage during the Bundesliga match against Leipzig (0-2), protesting with banners directed at the club’s former coach, Jürgen Klopp, following his decision to join the Red Bull conglomerate.

One of the banners in the ultras’ section read, “Have you forgotten everything we gave you?”, while others carried more blunt messages like, “Are you crazy, Klopp?” and “Klopp: I like people until they disappoint me.”

Germany ‘think differently’ about Klopp’s decision

Klopp, a club legend who played for Mainz for eleven years and coached the team from 2001 to 2008, has recently faced criticism from both Mainz and Borussia Dortmund supporters. His new role as Red Bull’s “Head of Global Soccer,” starting on January 1, 2025, has sparked controversy, particularly after he left his position as Liverpool manager this past summer, having spent nine years at the club.

Although Klopp initially announced he would take a break, his decision to join Red Bull has been poorly received by some of his former fans in Germany.

Before the game against Leipzig, Mainz sporting director Christian Heidel defended Klopp, acknowledging that the decision was bound to divide opinions.

“Abroad, there was endless enthusiasm. In Germany, people tend to think differently,” Heidel told Sky. “Jürgen Klopp is Jürgen Klopp. The truth is, it was a smart move by Red Bull,” he added. Heidel also downplayed concerns over Klopp’s legacy at Mainz, saying, “If anyone is worried about that, they’re really blindfolded.”

However, a lot of German opinions would not perhaps agree with Heidel. Günter Klein, a journalist from the Munich Merkur, has been hugely critical of Klopp, posting online that the former Liverpool manager “is as fake as his teeth.”

The newspaper Der Spiegel echoed this feeling, writing that “he once branded himself ‘The Normal One’ in contrast to José Mourinho’s ‘The Special One’ during his time at Liverpool, which earned him widespread admiration. Now, many feel it all makes sense—he has simply embraced the normal workings of the industry: money. This has left most fans uneasy.”

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