German Roger Schmidt has been appointed as the new Head of Global Football for Red Bull and has thus succeeded Jurgen Klopp in this top-level management position. The 59-year-old will start his new appointment on October 1 when he will leave the position of the Global Sports Director of the J.League in Japan. Previously, he was the manager of RB Salzburg for two years, followed by his stint with Bayer Leverkusen and then Benfica up to August 2024. In this new assignment, he will manage football affairs in six teams, including RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg, his former team.

Schmidt welcomed the appointment and said, "I am very much looking forward to this new challenge and am proud to once again be part of the Red Bull family in the future. Red Bull's international club portfolio is unique, ambitious, and shaped by a clear philosophy of developing young talents while simultaneously achieving success at the highest level. It is precisely this combination that makes this role particularly appealing to me."

Red Bull Turns to Former Salzburg Coach Roger Schmidt After Jurgen Klopp Exit

Schmidt's new role marks a return to a football organization where he previously found great success. He was at the helm of RB Salzburg from 2012 to 2014, leading the Austrian club to a league and cup double in his second season. That impressive feat earned him a move to Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, where he gained recognition for his exciting attacking style. After that, he took the reins at PSV Eindhoven from 2020 to 2022, before stepping in as the head coach of Benfica from 2022 until August 2024. Since October 2025, Schmidt had been working as the Global Sports Director in Japan's J.League, even though he was under contract there until 2027. Now, he has signed a long-term deal with Red Bull and will officially step into his new role on October 1.

The position became available after Klopp accepted the head coach role for Germany on July 24, following Julian Nagelsmann's resignation after the World Cup. Klopp had joined Red Bull as Head of Global Football at the beginning of 2025, with a contract that was supposed to last until the end of 2029. Interestingly, no compensation was needed from the German Football Association for his early exit. Klopp is now committed to Germany through the 2030 World Cup. Schmidt will now steer the sporting direction of Red Bull's football portfolio, which includes clubs like RB Leipzig, RB Salzburg, and New York Red Bulls, while the company also has a stake in Paris FC. Additionally, Red Bull announced that Florian Schulz will step in as the Global Head of Commercial.