Germany didn't pay Red Bull to release Jürgen Klopp. They donated €1 million to a spinal research charity instead. It's an unusual arrangement, but it gets the deal done — and Klopp could be officially unveiled as Germany's next head coach as early as Friday.
According to Bild, the DFB's agreement with Red Bull avoids any direct compensation fee. The money goes to Wings for Life, Red Bull's non-profit foundation focused on medical spinal cord research. Unconventional? Yes. But both parties get what they want, and nobody has to argue about market rates for a 57-year-old who's never coached international football before.
What Klopp actually brings from Red Bull
Klopp joined Red Bull GmbH as Head of Global Soccer at the start of 2025, and he hasn't exactly been sitting idle. He was central to RB Leipzig's decision to replace Ole Werner with Martín Demichelis — so he arrives at the DFB with recent experience influencing a Bundesliga club's footballing direction, even if that's a very different job to leading a national team through qualifiers and tournaments.
Germany parted ways with Julian Nagelsmann after a World Cup exit that nobody at the DFB wanted to explain too many times. The pressure on Klopp's successor role is real — this isn't a project with patience built in.
Germany's next major challenge is the 2026 World Cup, and the odds on how far they go will shift considerably depending on what Klopp's setup looks like and how quickly he adapts to the international rhythm. No midweek fixtures. Smaller windows. Players arriving tired from clubs. It's a different game entirely from what made him famous at Dortmund and Liverpool.
The Guardiola subplot
While Klopp prepares for his international debut, Italy are reportedly circling Pep Guardiola. Two old rivals potentially managing national teams at the same World Cup would write itself — but Guardiola to the Azzurri remains unconfirmed noise for now.
For Germany, the immediate story is simpler: Klopp's coming, the paperwork is done, and a foundation for spinal research is €1 million better off because of it.
