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Jurgen Klopp is looking to strengthen his ties to the city of Liverpool by building a padel center there.
Klopp left Liverpool last summer after nearly nine seasons in charge of the Reds, and he will forever be remembered as the man that returned the club to the summit of English soccer. Since leaving Liverpool, Klopp has stated that padel is his favorite sport to play.
The German is a co-founder of Padel FC, which opened Berlin's first indoor padel club in 2022, and is now looking to open its first center in the UK. A press release said that the facility, if approved, will feature nine padel courts – six indoors and three sheltered open-to-door – alongside a cafe, retail space, changing rooms, and social areas.
Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, and the demand for courts in the UK has led to a rapid increase in the amount of courts being built.
Klopp is a brand ambassador for Wilson Padel, and he helped to launch a racket collection with the sports equipment giant in 2022.
"Padel is, besides football, the best game I've ever played," Klopp said at the time. "I've only known it in the last five years or so, but since then, I'm really addicted to it. You make big steps in a short period of time. It's really fun to play.
“While I’ve spent my career focused on coaching football at the highest level, padel has become my favorite sport to play. It’s truly the same passion, just for a new game."
Meanwhile, Klopp recently gave an interview to The Athletic, in which he said he doesn't miss any aspect of soccer coaching, as he continues to adapt to his role as Red Bull's head of global soccer.
Asked whether he 'was waiting by the television for the games to begin' at the beginning of last season, Klopp responded: “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."
Asked whether he believes he will never be a coach again, Klopp responded: “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.”
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