Xiaoba Yiyanjia | Uncle Ba’s exclusive interview: It’s so cool to not be a head coach. Guardiola is such a genius

Recently, Klopp accepted an exclusive interview with TheAthletic reporter Adam Crafton, telling his real life after leaving Liverpool and how to continue his football life in a brand new role.

Klopp smiled in less than two minutes, and admitted with his signature cheerfulness: "I never thought about my coaching career."

This Liverpool meritorious coach bid farewell to Anfield in the summer of 2024, ending the nine-year red dynasty. He not only deeply imprinted his personal mark on Merseyside, but also completely reshapes the English football landscape. He led the team to win the top league championship that he had been looking forward to for 30 years, and won the top of the Champions League, allowing the whole of England to see what "heavy metal football" is.

Therefore, when the new season battle curtain kicks off, seeing the successor Slott be planning in the Liverpool coach's seat, will Klopp, who is idle at home, wait on time to watch the game in front of the TV?

"The roots are not there." He deliberately dragged the tone, "Liverpool is playing well, I am happy to see it. I will look at it occasionally, but it is not as expected as 'Wow weekend is here'."

"I don't even bother to remember the time of kickoff. Let myself go completely - stick to sports, enjoy my grandchildren, and enjoy life. I know that I will return to work sooner or later, but I will never be a coach anymore."

permanently quit?

"This is the idea at the moment." He nodded, "Who is right? I am only 58 years old. If I reappeared in the world at the age of 65, someone would definitely be yelling, 'You said you want to wash your hands'! Alas, I said this at that time 100% serious! At least now, I have no nostalgia for the coaching seat."

Although Klopp has returned to football, his new errands are incomparable to the masters of the wealthy family. In January this year, he served as the global football director of Red Bull Group, in charge of game philosophy, coaching training and transfer strategies. The functional beverage giant's teams are all over the world: Bundesliga RB Leipzig, Austria's Salzburg Red Bull, Ligue 1 Paris FC, American League New York Red Bull, Brazil Bragantino Red Bull and Japanese J2 League Red Bull Palace, and also serves as a minor shareholder and chest advertising sponsor in Premier League Leeds United.

When an exclusive interview with this magazine at the Red Bull Training Base in New York, Klopp wore an NY Red Bull baseball cap and held a zero-sugar Red Bull in his hand, and his e-cigarette spit out smoke rings from time to time. Staying away from the "goldfish tank" of the Premier League for 16 months made him look radiant and his figure looked more slender. His signature grin still remained - especially when he was teasing Manchester United's dilemma, his wrinkles on his face conveyed precise complaints.

"In terms of achievements, there are many people who are more brilliant than me." He waved his hand casually, "But I have not left behind any of the experiences."

From several Champions League finals to becoming the king of the league, he has long understood the philosophy of success or failure. "These experiences should not be brought into the coffin. In the past, the schedule forced people to make a lot of progress. Now who comes to me to learn from the scriptures, I will definitely teach you all my money."

I heard that I want to hold the 64 team World Cup? He immediately showed a suffocating expression: "I will stop when I see the news! I don't want to think about it at all."

However, he is never frightened when it is time to fire, such as the controversy caused by joining Red Bull. Although Leipzig follows the Bundesliga 50+1 rules in law, opponent fans always think that the Red Bull model desecrates the football tradition. Even the old Mainz club hung banners to question: "Did you forget who made you?"

"I expected this to happen." Klopp didn't care. "The Germans have any objections to Red Bull's involvement in football? Normal! But what's interesting is that only Germans have many dramas. Anyway, it's not bad for the truth, so what I like."

He added: "Which group of people at the Mainz Stadium now? They are still playing with mud when I coach! Parents have to point to the photo and say 'This is our celebrity'. This is normal."

Are there any more pleasing choices?

"If you go to Serie A or La Liga, you will definitely be praised for your vision; if you go to Bayern? Dortmund fans are the first to overturn the table. When I left Liverpool at the age of 57, I made up my mind to change my life - I will spend these seven months of vacation, wow!"

Klopp revealed that in 2001, he issued a military order to his current wife Ula: "You must rush to the coaching position for 25 years without distractions."

What if you fail? "She said at most, I could just let me drive a taxi."

Fortunately, I won the bet.

"But I didn't plan to do it until the day of kicking my legs." He blinked, "I have only attended two weddings in the past 25 years - my own and the one two months ago; the cinema? I've been to the cinema four times, all in the last eight weeks. It's so pleasant to be able to do whatever I want."

Now he cherishes this freedom very much. "Do your vacation time yourself - OK, it's actually Ula." He laughed, "No need to look at the Premier League or Bundesliga schedule anymore."

Sometimes he would slip away 20 minutes in advance when observing and training, "Anyway, you don't have to keep an eye on the entire field. I've been doing this for the rest of my life, and the magic is that I don't miss it at all. Now I'm still learning new things in the football circle every day, and this desire for knowledge has been long gone."

If Klopp was perfunctory in coaching back then, it was purely nonsense; but the desire to challenge and explore the unknown was indeed his new motivation. After nine months of joining the company, he consciously accumulated five years of experience and joked about the company's process: "I used to say whatever I wanted, but now after listening to 'I understand what you mean', there is no further information."

These workplace trivial matters make him feel new. He has not participated in cross-border projects such as Red Bull F1. "After watching F1, Verstappen was sent off after 30 seconds." He joked that he didn't dare to join in the fun anymore.

In the Red Bull system, he is building a revolutionary friendship with the directors and coaches of each team, emphasizing that the game must be full of "energy". He has been deeply involved in Leipzig's reconstruction this summer. The team fell out of the European war zone last season and completed 26 transactions to form the youngest lineup in the Bundesliga. He will call his favorite player in person to promote the transfer, and will also review the player information when asked. "I've been involved in the operation of Paris FC and Leipzig."

Red Bull and Klopp already have similar scents.. He spent most of his career participating in club construction, and his coaching style is highly consistent with the Red Bull logo. Liverpool also poached Conate, Mane and Sobosloy from the Red Bull Division. "We are not the terminal." He said bluntly, "I can't learn from Liverpool... and I can't be the Manchester United in the past!" As he said that, he burst into laughter, "You can just write this out!"

Cultivating talents, selling and rebuilding were his specialty. That year, Barcelona bought Coutinho for 142 million pounds, and then he was exchanged for the joining of Van Dijk and Alisson. Klopp had been deeply involved in the construction of training bases of the first three clubs. Last week, he was amazed when inspecting the construction of a new base in New York: "This design is too advanced, I changed two places when I went in."

He grinned and said, "But he was most afraid of becoming that kind of old antique..." Then he clasped his throat and learned from the old man, "'That set in the past worked!' I hope I retire early. I want to be the first aid hotline for coaches and directors - they can find people who can be found when they are crazy."

The Red Bull system has been constantly changing coaches recently, and the most eye-catching thing is that Mainz's old subordinate Ross was dismissed from Leipzig. "This feels bad, it's never my hobby. But if it's time to kill, it's time to kill." Klopp admitted frankly, "I want to instill stability concepts: trust more and overcome difficulties together. Now I always 'gods descend to earth' or 'nothing', but life is often in a gray area."

Now Klopp is more like a leader mentor rather than a tactical master, and his vision is becoming more and more broad. He admitted that he did not miss the repeated bombings of more than a dozen media outlets every week during the Premier League. "I never felt it was a burden", but it was indeed mechanized.

His world was once small, "Think of movie star Daniel Craig, we think 'Oh my god he is 007!' But don't he brush his teeth in the morning? Shooting the same shot repeatedly on the set? The football coach also burns his life for work, otherwise where will he succeed."

He suddenly raised his voice: "But the older Guardiola can actually play golf better! I don't even have time to touch the pole! So As he is a genius, I am not."

Speaking of tactical evolution, he praised Ilaura and Glasner, who made Liverpool taste the first defeat in the season: "They are creating miracles. Manchester City is also adjusting, and the coach needs a new perspective. Liverpool plays dazzling enough, offense first, and of course they have to take the risk of defense."

He has full firepower on the issue of player welfare and once called the 32nd Team Club World Cup "the worst idea in history." Asked whether to change his opinion, he shrugged: "I just saw the Chelsea's injury wave this morning? Of course they might have been the lottery either. I know too well the limits of players, and we are always asking for more. This does not mean that the game is not exciting, but I didn't watch it. Chelsea is happy to count money, but sooner or later they have to care about the real protagonist: the player."

" There is nothing else but to stop squeezing the game in the summer break. Top players don't even have time to breathe. Who dares to do this in other industries? It's like letting the top sensation song He whirled his high notes every night until he fainted, and then blamed him for leaving. "

For the concept of the 64 team's World Cup, he directly turned on the taunt mode: "I told the microwave that they were better than this! Some people would say 'You make a lot of money', and the club said 'Players need to raise salaries, so we have to generate income'. Then why not showdown: guarantee an eight-week holiday every year? Try it! Will they give up rest for millions of dollars? "

If you trade better conditions for salary cuts, will the players accept it? "If you ask me, you will definitely make a deal." He said firmly.

Does the players dare not speak out? "It's so magical!" He clapped his legs and laughed, "Rodri was injured the next day after complaining! But if no one spoke, they would never stop. FIFA was addicted to the sense of existence and forgot the players. The players' union is already working hard, I'm not alone - at most an outdated internet celebrity!"

"You can't pretend to be mute because of the sensitive topic. Those who don't want to listen, please close your ears."

Fortunately, Klopp's audience is far more than a microwave.