Jürgen Klopp, celebrated for his triumphs with clubs like Mainz, Dortmund, and Liverpool, reveals surprising details about the flip side of his illustrious coaching career: the immense pressure he experienced before every single match.
The 58-year-old explains that he does not miss his former existence as a coach on the touchline. Instead, he is enjoying his new life, which he finds significantly less stressful.
«Every time I sat on the bus on the way to the stadium, my chest would tighten. I experienced that at least 1081 times,» Klopp recounts. «The self-imposed pressure was absurd. It went through the roof. I did it 1081 times – why would I do it another 1090 times?»
He rules out a return to the coaching bench for now, particularly enjoying his current role as Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull: «I work a lot, and I want to work. The difference is that now I can work for three days and then have four days off where I do nothing. I’ve never had it this good. I wasn’t born not to work, but I had to find a way to get something different out of life.»
Klopp Confesses: «I Miss Absolutely Nothing»
After nine successful years at FC Liverpool, Klopp stepped down from his position in the summer of 2024 and began his new role at Red Bull in January 2025. Prior to this, the successful German coach also managed 1. FSV Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund, where he won, among other titles, two German championships.
Despite all his successes, the 58-year-old never truly saw himself as an outstanding coach: «I never did, and that’s the truth. I had so much to do every day, so many questions in my head, and I didn’t always know what to do,» Klopp stated.
It was only when comparisons with other coaching greats like Pep Guardiola became more frequent that Klopp began to accept his role: «I understood that, but it never really settled in. Now I’m not a coach anymore, and wow, I really was good. But I miss absolutely nothing.»