Fans of Bundesliga side Mainz displayed banners condemning former manager Jurgen Klopp’s decision to move to Red Bull during Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat to RB Leipzig. Using a play on words using Klopp’s last name, home fans asked: “Are you crazy?” And he quoted their team’s former boss: “I like people until they let me down.” A large banner, written in big red letters, told manager Klopp: “I like people until they let me down.” “Have you forgotten everything I gave you?” Klopp, a former player at the club, coached Mainz for seven years, leading them to the top flight for the first time, before moving to Borussia Dortmund and then Liverpool.
Klopp resigned as manager of Liverpool, who won numerous titles including the Premier League and Champions League, in the summer.
In October, Klopp announced he would join energy drinks company Red Bull, which owns clubs in Leipzig, Salzburg and New York, as global head of football from January 2025.
His decision to take the Red Bull job has troubled German supporters, especially his former clubs Dortmund and Mainz, who have long had an aversion to RB Leipzig.
Some fans believe Leipzig, founded in 2009, do not comply with Germany’s 50+1 rule, which requires club management by members, while criticizing the multi-club ownership model adopted by Red Bull. Some fans do.
Leipzig’s win over Mainz means the club, who are yet to lose in the league this season, remain top of the table, at least until Bayern Munich play Stuttgart at home later on Saturday.
Leipzig manager Marco Rose, who played under Klopp at Mainz for several years, dismissed the fans’ criticism as a minority opinion.
“There are 35,000 spectators in the stadium and many of them have an opinion. The fact that Kloppo shaped an era here, and the fact that together we achieved something great, we have about 35,000 spectators. “I think 4,936 people love Kloppo,” Rose said.
“He has been here in Mainz for a long time.
“Everyone has their own life somewhere and has the right to make their own decisions. Not everyone has to love it.”
Rose added: “(He) wasn’t aware of (the banner) so he couldn’t have been that violent.”
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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