Jurgen Klopp insists he’s not the ‘shadow boss’ at RB Leipzig

Jurgen Klopp is already tired of questions over his role with Red Bull, insisting he is not the ‘shadow boss’ at RB Leipzig.

The former Liverpool manager began his job as Red Bull’s Head of Global Soccer in January this year, making him a senior figure at the top of the multi-club organisation which includes Leipzig, RB Salzburg and New York Red Bulls.

When he took up the new job, he made it clear that he would not become the manager of any of the Red Bull clubs.

‘I will not be the coach of a Red Bull team,’ he said in January. ‘That is a clear commitment. As much as you can give a guarantee, I will not be a coach at all.

‘I am probably the only person in this room who will be asked where are you in five years, I don’t have a clue.

‘But I will not be a replacement of one of the Red Bull coaches. I hope we can create a structure where these questions will not come up at all.’

Those comments have not stopped questions being asked about Klopp’s involvement at Red Bull clubs.

The 58-year-old was in attendance at RB Leipzig training on Monday, the first session under new manager Ole Werner.

With the new Leipzig boss only 37 years old and with the legendary figure of Klopp in close quarters, he was asked about his influence, but insisted he is just there to offer his help to the manager.

‘I don’t know if I need to explain this a thousand more times – I’m not the shadow boss here,’ said Klopp, via Bundesliga.com.

‘I’m just trying to contribute my experience – and I really do have quite a lot of that.’

Klopp praised the new manager, who, despite his age, already comes with plenty of experience from his spells in charge of Holsten Kiel and Werder Bremen.

‘If you look into the coaching market, you’ll quickly come across the name Ole Werner,’ said Klopp. ‘It’s not about what you’ve won, but what you get out of the team’s potential.’

There remains the possibility that the iconic manager could return to the dugout and take charge of a club outside of the Red Bull system, but he said earlier this year that he sees it as unlikely.

While he loved his time as a boss in charge of Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, he is also relishing a return to a more ‘normal’ way of life.

‘It took me too far away from normal life – and ultimately, I no longer had a normal life,’ he told German publication Welt.

‘Whatever normal life is: my car knew three ways: to the stadium, to the training ground, and home.

‘If I were to go back to coaching somewhere, it would all start again. I’m me! I can’t just take over and coach.

‘Then I’d be completely involved everywhere again. And I just don’t see that happening anymore.’