Jurgen Klopp appearance at Leeds United to give major signal on Red Bull takeover plans
Jurgen Klopp involvement with Leeds United in his new role with Red Bull will give a major clue on what the company’s long-term plans are at the club.
The former Liverpool boss has, somewhat controversially, taken on a new job as the Austrian drinks firm’s Head of Global Soccer, following his Anfield exit at the end of last season.
Red Bull arrived as minority owners at Elland Road during the summer, in a move that also brought unprecedented investment [Adam Pope, 3 June] and saw the company become the Whites’ front-of-shirt sponsors, which was not uncontroversial in itself.
According to Sky Sports Germany’s Florian Plettenberg via X on 13 October Klopp may not be seen at games for the rest of the 2024/25 season, as his plans are to work in the background and travel to visit the clubs under the Red Bull banner.
Red Bull joined 49ers at Leeds United in summer
He wrote: “In the first few months of his tenure starting in January 2025, he intends to work in the background and will be traveling a lot, getting a feel for the Red Bull teams on-site.”
Leeds United aren’t one of the clubs where the company are in full control so the 57-year-old’s focus is sure to be RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg in the German and Austrian Bundesligas respectively, as well as New York Red Bull in MLS and likely Brazilian pair Red Bull Bragantino and Red Bull Brasil.
At Elland Road the 49ers are still clearly in control, and Red Bull have since announced partnerships with other English clubs too, but it is not the NFL franchise which is emblazoned on the front of the players’ shirts every week, so they are obviously significant investors.
There was a lot of unease among the fanbase when their arrival at the club emerged, with supporters concerned over longer-term plans to increase their influence and potentially even rebrand Leeds United as they have done elsewhere.
At the time chairman Paraag Marathe told Phil Hay of The Athletic (30 May) that there was no reason for alarm, there would be no name changes, and the 49ers were in charge, but avoided revealing any specifics as to the size of the new investment.
Paraag Marathe downplayed Leeds United fears
That is all likely true at this stage but 49ers Enterprises are ultimately an investment arm of the sports team they share a name with, and if there comes a point within the next few years where they feel the profit is there to be realised by selling up then that has surely always been part of the plan.
If and when that time comes there’s going to be no prizes for guessing who will likely be consulted first over interest in buying.
So a clear signal of where Red Bull see Leeds United among their footballing interests is likely to be provided by Klopp’s movements over the rest of the campaign, if he has any involvement with Daniel Farke’s side, and to what extent.
If he returns to England to visit The Whites in the near future it would certainly suggest that the club is in their thoughts, and longer-term aspirations are held. If not perhaps Leeds were just a way to get a foot in the door of English football and nothing more.
Jurgen Klopp back in football after Liverpool exit
Grander intentions need not be a bad thing if that is the case, although the concerns around name, colours, and badge changes are valid.
When the latest plans for the Elland Road regeneration were recently announced finance expert Kieran Maguire was already terming them joint plans between the 49ers and Red Bull [Price of Football, 26 September] so the drinks manufacturers hardly seem an afterthought.
So if Klopp pops in at Thorp Arch to get a feel for things at Leeds it would be a definite indicator that Red Bull have plans in West Yorkshire, even if they are likely some way off getting an opportunity to realise them.
In other Leeds United news, the club can “never” admit to a possible explanation for Illan Meslier’s catastrophic error after “something strange happened”.
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