Jurgen Klopp stepped away from management last year and his future has been the subject of speculation ever since.
Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund legend Klopp surprised fans by taking a senior role with football's most loathed multi-club ownership group.
The German joined Red Bull as its Head of Global Soccer and started work in January, but suggestions that Klopp is unhappy and burned out by the experience appear to be gathering pace.
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It's understood that Klopp has a release clause in his four-year Red Bull contract that would allow him to leave to become the manager of the German national team but he's also linked with two of football's biggest management jobs and open to the possibility of discussing them, according to reports.
While Klopp is tied into his Red Bull contract and any departure can be expected to prove difficult, stranger things have happened.
According to Bruno Andrade, a sports reporter for the Brazilian title UOL, sources close to Klopp believe he would be interested in becoming the manager of Brazil or, perhaps more realistically, taking Real Madrid up on their long-standing admiration.
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"While the [Brazilian Football Confederation] is working hard behind the scenes with names like [Carlo] Ancelotti and Jorge Jesus for the position of coach of the Brazilian national team, Jurgen Klopp is finding himself increasingly worn out as global director of football at Red Bull," reports UOL.
"And people close to him recently heard from him that he would accept leaving the position to go to two destinations: the Brazilian national team and Real Madrid."
The situation at Red Bull is likely to factor heavily in what Klopp does next.
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"There’s also the added factor that things aren’t going brilliantly at Red Bull," reports talkSPORT today.
"Ahead of Klopp’s official start date of January 1, the organisation sacked his long-time Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders at Salzburg.
"The club had won ten straight Austrian Bundesliga titles from 2013 to 2023 but again look set to be pipped by Sturm Graz.
"Marco Rose of whom Klopp once said he ‘would trust with his life’ was sacked [by RB Leipzig] in March and the club are now in a battle to keep their top four status."
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Klopp has been linked with the manager's job at Real Madrid for several years but Los Blancos are currently blessed with the leadership of one of the most respected and decorated figures in the game.
Should Ancelotti leave the club for the vacant Brazil role or any other, Klopp would undoubtedly be in the frame once more.
Topics: Jurgen Klopp, Real Madrid, Red Bull Salzburg, Liverpool
Chris Nee