CONFIRMED: Jurgen Klopp set for historic role at billionaire Paris club

Jurgen Klopp’s new position as Red Bull’s Head of Global Soccer certainly raised eyebrows when it was announced back in October.

Some fans saw it as a betrayal of the ethos that Klopp had espoused throughout his managerial career - particularly at Borussia Dortmund.

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Red Bull’s global network of football teams has expanded in recent years. They started in 2005 with renaming Austria Salzburg to Red Bull Salzburg, as well as founding MLS’s New York Red Bulls.

This was followed by the turning of SSV Markranstadt into RB Leipzig, and later by the creation of Red Bull Bragantino in Brazil.

Red Bull then expanded into minority ownership stakes, firstly in Leeds United and most recently in Paris FC.

And it is with Paris FC that Klopp will take his first official appearance in a Red Bull capacity.

What is Klopp's first Red Bull engagement?

L’Equipe are reporting that Klopp will attend Paris FC’s Ligue 2 clash against Amiens on the 11th January.

According to the report, the former Liverpool manager “will briefly be passing through Paris that weekend and will not be able, according to our information, to get to know the club’s teams better or discover the facilities”.

Paris FC currently sit second in France’s Ligue 2, seeking a return to the top flight of French football for the first time since the 1978-79 season.

A merger with Racing Club de France back in the early 80s led to Paris FC themselves falling to the fifth division, something they have been working towards overcoming for the four subsequent decades.

Red Bull’s minority ownership stake, alongside a buyout by the Arnault family, is the clearest indication yet that the club are being taken seriously. As a result, Klopp may be able to oversee a Paris derby next year.

The recent sacking of his former assistant Pep Lijnders as manager of Red Bull Salzburg allowed Klopp to avoid the embarrassment of being seen to have made the decision himself, but puts him in a difficult position as soon as he assumes the role.

Paris represent Klopp’s first opportunity to score a serious victory in his new bureaucratic role. He will be keen to show he has made the right decision quickly, allowing for a smooth operation for all of Red Bull’s on-pitch subsidiaries.

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