Jürgen Klopp, Red Bull’s Global Football Director, gave an exclusive interview to Camel Live.
Did you choose to leave Liverpool because the team needed a rebuild?
No, no, no—it wasn’t a rebuild. Liverpool was in a good place back then. My expectation for myself was that, in this environment, I was the source of energy for everyone.
Like I always did: if someone was in trouble, come on, you could take what I didn’t need. I had to stay in top form to be the person worthy of being Liverpool’s manager.
That’s what I meant that day. When I felt, well, I knew it, then I didn’t know it anymore. So I thought, okay, let’s wait until everyone sees it, and then they can give me the security and all those things I couldn’t provide for myself anymore.
It wasn’t like that. After all the time we spent together, I realized I didn’t want to be the kind of person who didn’t feel like going on the US tour. But why?
Because I enjoyed every single day. So you realize you need a break—no matter what, I just needed to rest. I needed to do something else. You can’t do that in this industry.
You can’t say, “Ladies and gentlemen, give me a year off. See you later.” That’s not how it works. I truly think we did what we had to do, and expressed how we felt and thought at that time. That’s just how the situation was.
I didn’t have the energy to think about what would come next. I didn’t want to think about it. I just wanted to leave. I was glad to finish that season, but don’t ask me what we could do here or there—that had always been my responsibility. Because yes, I couldn’t decide on money matters, but everything else, from a certain point on, was in my hands.
Edwards came back after I left, not because we had problems or anything like that. Not at all. Well, they just wanted to find a leader for the team.
So Michael, Richard, and Anna now work very closely together, obviously. So that’s how the decision went back then. But for a while, Richard, Michael, and Julian Ward all left. So I was the only one sitting there, well, having to handle everything. We had to win football games, but all other things also fell on my shoulders. That was a very intense period.
So, in fact, you were forced to take on the role of sporting director back then?
Yes, us—and that transfer window, I remember, was with Schmadtke, who we brought in temporarily. I didn’t even know if Julian Ward was still there, along with the lawyers and scouts…
So, do you think you could go back to manage Liverpool in the future? Is that possible?
I’ve said I’ll never manage another team in England. So that means if it’s Liverpool, yes. So theoretically, it’s possible.
Theoretically, what conditions would you need to be mentally ready for that?
I don’t know. I don’t even know the specific situation. I just… all I can say is there would definitely be… conditions. I love my current job. I don’t miss coaching at all, really.
I don’t miss standing in the rain for two and a half or three hours. Well, I also don’t miss doing three or four press conferences a week, and 10 or 12 interviews a week. I don’t miss that—no, I don’t.
So I don’t miss the days in the dressing room. I’ve managed so many games; I’ve had enough. I don’t want… I don’t want to die in the dressing room just because it smells great or something like that. But maybe, you know, I’m 58. From your perspective, that’s old, but from another angle, I’m not that old. That means I could make a decision in a few years.
I don’t know. Do I have to make that decision today? If it were today, I wouldn’t manage again. But thank God, I don’t have to do that anymore.
Now I’m part of a project I really love. I love the people I work with, the clubs we’re in charge of, and the countries where these clubs are located. So I enjoy what I’m doing now. In my opinion, I can only do well if I’m 100% focused on one thing. And that’s what I’ve always wanted to do.
You don’t miss those things. What do you miss, then?
Sometimes, certain people. Yes, sometimes I miss certain people. For example, I… I wish I could… So I don’t miss the dressing room, but I miss sitting in the restaurant with the players, having nice chats with them. That’s great—when they’re in a good mood, it’s always great. We won a lot of games, so there was often a really good atmosphere in the team.
