Jurgen Klopp has left an indelible mark on the clubs he has managed, most notably Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool. His rivalry with Pep Guardiola in the Premier League is one that will be remembered by many.
Jurgen announced his departure from Liverpool in January 2024. The adopted Scouser stated that he will never manage another club in England after leaving Liverpool due to his deep connection and respect for the club, viewing it as family. He also announced he will be taking a sabbatical and may coach after a year or two taking time off and spending it with his family.
So it would come as a shock when he announced his new position as Red Bull’s Head of Global Soccer. The German was fascinated by this new backseat role and that he was “excited to be working in a multi-club, multi-sports setup for the first time and with a pledge to deliver fire on the pitch, entertainment for the fans and a long-term vision for the clubs under his leadership.”
He will be responsible at the strategic management level for Red Bull’s international network of clubs.
However Jurgen further shocked many by donning a Paris FC cap and referring to the Ligue 1 club as ‘we’ while doing some punditry for their season-opener match against Metz few days ago.
His exact words were – “We want to achieve success, but we don’t want to go crazy. We will go step by step.”
This left fans wondering how he is affiliated with the club as it is not part of the Red Bull owned clubs such as RB Leipzig and New York Red Bulls.
Red Bull Head of Global Soccer Jürgen Klopp is at Paris' Stade Jean-Bouin for Paris FC's first home Ligue 1 game in 46 years.
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) August 31, 2025
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Paris FC
So who exactly are Paris FC?
Paris Football Club, is a professional football club based in Paris, France. While they may not have the global recognition of their more famous city rivals PSG, Paris FC has a long and interesting history and a distinct identity.
The history of Paris FC is inextricably linked with that of PSG. In 1969, a public campaign was launched to create a major football club in the French capital. The following year, the newly formed Paris FC merged with Stade Saint-Germain to create Paris Saint-Germain.
However, this union was short-lived. Due to disagreements with the Paris City Council, the clubs split in 1972. Paris FC retained the professional status and a place in the top flight, while PSG was relegated to the third division.
After decades in the lower divisions, Paris FC finally made a triumphant return to the top flight of French football, Ligue 1, for the 2025-2026 season. They secured promotion by finishing as runners-up in Ligue 2 in the 2024-2025 season. This marks their first time in Ligue 1 in 46 years.
Just like their Parisian brothers Paris FC also had support of the uber wealthy. Europe’s richest family the Arnault’s who own LVMH the fashion conglomerate took a majority stake in the club in November. Antoine Arnault was the one most interested in the club with him wanting to turn the club into a European Powerhouse like PSG who won the coveted UEFA Champions league last season.
Bernard Arnault’s family office, Agache Sport, acquired a controlling 52.4% stake in the club while Red Bull secured a 10.6% minority stake in Paris FC. There is where Jurgen would come into the picture.
Klopp’s Role
Paris FC were playing their matches at an athletics track for the Paris Université Club called the Charléty stadium. However, due to the distance to the pitch, visibility was poor, forcing Klopp to say – “It has been a long time since I watched a game from that far away. It is a stadium where you cannot create an atmosphere.”
Paris FC planned to relocate to Stade Jean-Bouin, a 19,600-capacity rugby ground that is across the street from Parc de Princes, home to Paris Saint Germain. Given how close these two stadiums are we could end up seeing great derby matches between these two.
“We want to build a team where we will have five, six, seven or even eight players who have come through the youth academy,” said Antoine Arnault. Given RedBull’s scouting and talent pool, the other RedBull teams could become feeder clubs for Paris FC just like they are for Leipzig.
Klopp’s involvement is currently focused on:
- Strategic Vision: Providing high-level advice on the club’s development and long-term strategy.
- Player Recruitment and Scouting: Using Red Bull’s advanced data and scouting tools to help Paris FC identify and sign the best talent. As stated by Antoine Arnault, the club will benefit from Red Bull’s “absolutely revolutionary data tools.”
- Mentorship: Klopp sees his role as a “mentor for the coaches and management” across the Red Bull clubs, helping them to improve and implement a winning philosophy.
It is very unlikely Klopp will be at the stadium for every match given his other commitments. He has expressed his excitement about the project, particularly as the club secured promotion to Ligue 1. His role is to help transform Paris FC from a historically small club into a formidable force in French and European Football.
