Germany are paying Red Bull in charity donations — not cash — to bring Jürgen Klopp home. According to Bild, the DFB will hand €1 million to Wings for Life, Red Bull's non-profit foundation focused on medical spinal cord research, as part of the agreement to release Klopp from his role as Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull GmbH.
No compensation fee. No legal wrangling. Just a creative workaround that gets everyone what they want — and directs a seven-figure sum toward medical research in the process.
A deal that works for everyone
Klopp joined Red Bull at the start of 2025 and has already had a tangible influence on the organisation. He played a direct role in RB Leipzig's decision to replace Ole Werner with Martín Demichelis — so this isn't a figurehead departure. Red Bull lose a genuine football mind, and a €1 million donation to their foundation is about as clean an exit package as you'll find in modern football.
The official announcement could come as early as Friday. After Germany's early World Cup exit under Julian Nagelsmann, the DFB moved quickly — and the Klopp choice signals an intent to restore credibility, not just fill a seat. This will be his first job in international football, which is its own intriguing variable. Managing a club and managing a national team are fundamentally different disciplines. Klopp has thrived on daily training ground work, building cultures over months and years. He gets ten days every few months with the national squad. Adjusting to that rhythm is the real test.
Germany's odds of making a run at the next major tournament will likely shorten the moment this is confirmed — the Klopp brand still carries serious weight with sponsors, fans, and markets alike. Whether the football follows is the part nobody knows yet.
Elsewhere, Italy are being linked with Pep Guardiola as their next manager — setting up the prospect of Klopp and Guardiola competing at international level after years of doing it in the Premier League. Some rivalries just don't end.
