Explained: Why ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp did not attend Salzburg's humbling 6-0 friendly loss to Bayern Munich after officially starting work as Red Bull's global head of soccer

The former Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund boss brought his distinguished coaching career to a close, at least for now, when bidding farewell to Anfield in the summer of 2024. Klopp has since been appointed as Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull.

Klopp is now officially working in that capacity, but his presentation is not due to take place until January 14. With that in mind, the 57-year-old is reluctant to provide any kind of distraction to those that are charged with the task of delivering positive results on the field.

Salzburg suffered a 6-0 defeat to Bundesliga giants Bayern in a friendly contest intended to help ready both teams for the resumption of competitive action after mid-season winter breaks. According to Bild, Klopp did not attend that fixture as he “does not want to attract media attention and does not want to distract attention from the sporting aspect”.

Klopp is ready to get to work, though, having enjoyed a post-Liverpool break with his family and will be charged with the task of shaping Red Bull’s strategy in football circles – with it his responsibility to manage international networks and identify potential coaches.