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Former Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp was spotted in New Jersey on Thursday as he attended a New York Red Bulls training session ahead of Saturday's Hudson River derby.
New York is one of several franchises overseen by Klopp, after he became Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull earlier this year. Klopp left Liverpool at the end of the 2023-24 season and took a hiatus to recharge before accepting the new advisory role with Red Bull.
Klopp faced backlash after accepting his new role, with RB Leipzig widely disliked in his native Germany due to disrupting soccer traditions. However, Klopp has prioritized New York this weekend as the Red Bulls prepare to face New York City FC in Major League Soccer.
The Hudson River derby is always a fierce clash in MLS, but Saturday's game is crucial for the Red Bulls. New York City FC has already secured a berth for the MLS Cup Playoffs, but the Red Bulls are on the cusp of elimination.
The Red Bulls are battling with the Chicago Fire for the final playoff spot, but are two points off the pace with only three games remaining. Chicago also has a game in hand on the Red Bulls, meaning a loss in the Hudson River derby could end their playoff hopes.
Klopp attended Thursday's session to provide added motivation, and is expected to attend Saturday's game at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Chicago still has difficult games against the Columbus Crew and Inter Miami, which could benefit the Red Bulls.
After beginning his new role on Jan. 1, Klopp faced backlash from German fans after they questioned his morals. Klopp has always been a strong ambassador for German soccer traditions and helped deliver success to underdogs, while Red Bull has a business-driven approach to soccer.
Klopp addressed the criticism during an appearance on the 'Einfach mal Luppen' podcast, hosted by former German soccer stars Toni and Felix Kroos. "I didn’t want to step on anybody’s toes, definitely not, and personally I love all of my ex-clubs," Klopp said.
"I really don’t know what exactly I could have done for everyone to be happy. I’m 57, so I can still work for a couple more years, but I don’t really see myself on the sideline [as a coach] for the time being.
"But it was always clear that I wasn’t going to do nothing at all. And then this story with Red Bull came into the picture, and for me it’s outstanding."
Klopp also promoted the Red Bulls' vision to maintain constant contact with all coaches of the franchised teams, after leaning on personal experience. "I always had the feeling that the coach is very, very often the loneliest person at the club," he said.
Klopp’s former Liverpool assistant, Peter Krawietz, also defended the Red Bulls advisor. "I’ve taken note of the criticism. But I don’t understand it," he told GOAL. "I think there’s a bit of a misunderstanding on the part of the fans.
"Where would Jurgen 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."
English (US) ·