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Jurgen Klopp’s former assistant at Liverpool, Peter Krawietz, has dismissed criticism of his decision to join the Red Bull franchise.
The 58-year-old took up a position as Head of Red Bull Soccer at the start of this year despite previously being critical of multi-club ownership models. The decision also hasn’t set well with Bundesliga supporters, given that RB Leipzig does not comply with the division’s 50+1 ownership model.
But speaking in a lengthy interview with Goal, Krawietz, who has followed Klopp to Red Bull and is now its Head of Soccer Philosophy, said his ex-Reds boss would have faced scrutiny no matter which club he joined.
“I've taken note of the criticism,” said the former coach. “But I don't understand it. I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding on the part of the fans.
“Where would Jürgen have been allowed to work, what would the public have approved of? There would have been numerous critical voices even if he - purely hypothetically - had become coach at Bayern Munich or Manchester United.
“Of course, that's not how free choice of profession works. You have to pay that much respect to an individual. You can't hold a public vote on what the fans approve of.”
Krawietz was initially convinced to join Leipzig - one of the clubs in Red Bull’s portfolio - last season as a coach before making the step upstairs this summer and once again team up with Klopp.
“It was something I hadn't thought about before,” Krawietz explained. “It was new, and there were no role models for how it should work or what the role would actually look like. You have an idea and a vision, but no one had done it in that form before. It just appealed to me.
“The coaching job is extremely intensive,” he continued. “You're completely tied to one team, one club, and the rest of your life, which is also part of your life, is completely neglected.
“This combination of no longer having that in this form, but still being able to work within your area of expertise, think outside the box, and get to know football in all its global dimensions, sounded incredibly interesting. I want to remain a football learner.”
On Red Bull’s unpopular standing in Germany, Krawietz added: “That didn't matter. We hadn't been active in Germany for the previous nine years either.
“In England, it's perfectly normal for a club to be managed by an investor who acts as a financier and makes strategic decisions. If you ask yourself why this hasn't yet taken hold in Germany, it also comes down to the question of how professional and commercially marketed football can be. A highly interesting discussion, but one as old as football itself.”
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