BVB fans hit out at club legend Klopp and Red Bull | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund’s fan scene is alarmed. Jürgen Klopp’s role in a new Red Bull partnership is drawing clear criticism in Dortmund.

Red Bull has further expanded its activities in international football—and former BVB coach Jürgen Klopp played a key role in the latest partnership. The company will now be working with Hungarian top-flight club Újpest FC Budapest.

Previously, a meeting took place in New York between club president Ratatics Péter and Red Bull’s “Global Head of Soccer” Jürgen Klopp. Together with other RB representatives, the details of the cooperation were discussed.

This development is causing discontent not only in Hungary but also in Dortmund. Borussia Dortmund’s fan scene is observing the growing influence of the soft drink company with a critical eye. Their criticism is also directed squarely at Jürgen Klopp. In the fanzine “Vorspiel,” distributed before the Bundesliga match against 1. FC Köln (1:0), it says: “Bad news is brewing in the Hungarian capital.”

The BVB supporters do emphasize: “Such a partnership is not the same as a takeover of the club by the soft drink company.” However, they also warn, “it still shows how they continue to try to expand their influence in the football business.”

BVB fans disappointed: Klopp causes a stir with Red Bull deal

Klopp has been viewed critically, especially since he began working for Red Bull. For many fans, the company is symbolic of commercialized, “modern” football, which is met with rejection in traditional clubs. The fact that it is precisely Dortmund’s former successful coach, who won two championships between 2008 and 2015, now appearing as a representative for Red Bull, is causing disappointment among parts of the BVB fan base.

Resistance is also stirring in Budapest. The ultra group Újpest Ultras 1992 stated: “We want to make it unmistakably clear that we support any forward-looking partnership based purely on sporting reasons.” At the same time, the fans emphasized: “From Salzburg, Leipzig, etc., we know exactly how Red Bull operates outside of sporting matters.”

With their statement in Vorspiel, BVB fans once again underline their fundamental stance. They view Red Bull’s growing influence in football with concern. The fact that Jürgen Klopp is playing an active role in this is causing clear resentment among the fan scene.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.