Death of purity in football: Embracing the capitalist game we helped create

UNLESS you’ve been living under a rock the last couple of days, Juergen Klopp is back in the news. Yes, Erik Ten Hag still has a job, but the former Liverpool manager has come under scrutiny this week after accepting the role as Red Bull’s global head of football. Klopp’s decision has sparked outrage from both Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund fans.

Why? Because, to them, joining an organisation like Red Bull goes against the principles Klopp used to stand for – he’s being labeled a “sell-out’’ and “greedy’’. As for Dortmund’s fans, they don’t even recognise Red Bull as a legitimate club because of their ownership structure. Comical criticism coming from a set of fans who welcomed a weapons manufacturer as a sponsor before the Champions League.