On October 9, Kevin Grosskeutz woke up to more than 30 messages on his phone, all saying the same thing: Jurgen Klopp was joining Red Bull. Grosskreutz couldn’t believe what he was reading; he didn’t want to. He had played under Klopp at Borussia Dortmund, who consider themselves the antithesis to Red Bull-backed rivals Leipzig, the 'most hated club in Germany'.
"I thought I was dreaming," Grosskruetz admitted on his Viertelstunde Fußball podcast. "Then, I hoped it was fake news. Two hours later, though, it was official. It was pretty shocking and sad. Somehow it hasn't really sunk in yet."
Grosskreutz isn't the only one still struggling to come to terms with Klopp's decision to become Red Bull's Global Head of Soccer from January 1 onwards. Indeed, just like the former Germany international, plenty of people within the game find it "very, very strange" that Wednesday's Champions League meeting between Liverpool and RB Leipzig is essentially a meeting of Klopp's past and future.
But why did the European Cup winner agreeing to effectively become the sporting face of the Red Bull brand come as such a surprise to so many people? And are they right to accuse him of selling his soul? GOAL breaks down one of the most fiercely debated moves in recent football history...