Jurgen Klopp Opens Door to Managerial Return Amid Staffing Concerns
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has indicated he may not be finished with football management, despite currently serving as global head of soccer for Red Bull. The German tactician, who left Anfield nearly two years ago after a successful nine-year tenure, has suggested he still has at least one more managerial position left in him during recent comments in his homeland.
Klopp's Current Situation and Future Prospects
Klopp departed Liverpool at the conclusion of the 2023/24 season, having announced his impending exit several months earlier in January 2024. After taking a brief period away from the sport, he assumed his current role with Red Bull, where he reportedly remains content. However, speculation about a potential return to the dugout continues to circulate within football circles.
Speaking at an event in Germany, Klopp addressed ongoing rumours linking him with Real Madrid, dismissing that particular speculation while leaving the door open for future opportunities. "And as for the future, I'm not quite finished as a coach yet," Klopp stated. "So who knows what might come up in the next few years. But there are absolutely no plans in that regard."
When confirming his Liverpool departure, Klopp emphasized he would never manage another Premier League club besides the Reds, making positions abroad more likely possibilities. Germany's national team and European giants like Real Madrid have both been mentioned as potential destinations, though Klopp appears in no hurry to leave his Red Bull position.
The Coaching Staff Challenge
Should Klopp return to management, he may face significant challenges reassembling his trusted backroom team. Several key members of his Liverpool coaching setup have secured fresh roles elsewhere in football, potentially forcing Klopp to build an entirely new support structure.
Klopp's former assistant Pep Lijnders was initially considered a potential successor at Liverpool but instead accepted the manager's position at Red Bull Salzburg ahead of the 2024/25 campaign. His tenure in Austria proved short-lived, ending with dismissal midway through the season. Lijnders has since joined Pep Guardiola's backroom team at Manchester City, where he recently helped secure the Carabao Cup.
Vitor Matos, who arrived at Liverpool as an elite development coach in 2019, followed Lijnders to Salzburg before embarking on his own managerial career. The 37-year-old Portuguese coach took charge of Maritimo in Portugal's second division before accepting the manager's role at Championship side Swansea City after Alan Sheehan's dismissal. Swansea currently occupy 14th position with seven matches remaining, making both promotion and relegation unlikely this season.
Other Staff Movements
Goalkeeping coaches John Achterberg and Claudio Taffarel have also moved on from Liverpool. Achterberg, who spent more than a decade at Anfield and predated Klopp's arrival, accompanied former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard to Saudi Arabian club Al Ettifaq. He remained in Saudi Arabia even after Gerrard's departure from the club.
Taffarel, who held a dual role working with both Liverpool and the Brazil national team during his time at Anfield, stepped away from his club position in summer 2025. He now works exclusively with Carlo Ancelotti's Brazilian national side.
One potential exception to this staffing exodus is Peter Krawietz, who served Klopp at Mainz, Borussia Dortmund, and Liverpool before assuming his current position as head of football philosophy at Red Bull. Krawietz temporarily returned to an assistant manager role last season under caretaker boss Zsolt Low at RB Leipzig but didn't remain once Ole Werner took the permanent manager's position.
This widespread dispersal of Klopp's former coaching staff suggests that any potential return to management would likely require assembling a completely new backroom team, presenting both challenges and opportunities for the highly successful German manager.
