Jürgen Klopp’s Agent Marc Kosicke Flatly Denies Al-Ittihad Coaching Links: ‘Completely Untrue’

Speculation linking Jürgen Klopp to a managerial role at Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad has been categorically denied by the German coach’s agent, Marc Kosicke, who made his feelings on the matter clear in remarks to WinWin Sports.

“I am annoyed by all this nonsense. It’s all annoying and completely untrue,” Kosicke told the outlet on June 8, 2026. The agent’s frustration appeared directed at the persistence of the rumours, which had resurfaced in recent days despite having been addressed previously.

This is not the first time Kosicke has moved to quash the Al-Ittihad narrative. In an earlier statement, he drew a firm line under the possibility of any such appointment materialising in the near term. “There is no possibility for Klopp to manage Al-Ittihad this year,” he had stated on that occasion. The renewed denial on June 8 suggests the speculation had continued to circulate regardless.

Klopp departed Liverpool at the conclusion of the 2023/24 season after nine years at the club, a tenure in which he delivered the Premier League title, the UEFA Champions League, the FA Cup, and the League Cup, among other honours. His exit from Anfield marked the end of one of the most decorated managerial stints in the club’s history.

Rather than returning to frontline management, Klopp opted for a role that keeps him connected to football at an organisational level. In January 2025, he took up the position of Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull GmbH, a role that places him in an oversight capacity across the energy drink company’s global network of football clubs — including RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, and New York Red Bulls, among others. The position is understood to involve strategic input into recruitment, coaching philosophy, and football operations across those clubs, without the daily pressures associated with managing a single team.

Al-Ittihad, based in Jeddah, are one of the Saudi Pro League’s most prominent clubs and have been linked with several high-profile coaching appointments in recent seasons as the league continues to attract global football talent. The club have previously featured players of significant international standing, and their interest — whether genuine or speculative — in a manager of Klopp’s profile fits a broader pattern of Saudi football’s ambitions to raise its global visibility.

Kosicke’s double denial effectively closes the door on the Al-Ittihad storyline for now, with Klopp’s professional focus remaining on his responsibilities within the Red Bull football structure. Whether the former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool head coach eventually returns to club management remains an open question, but according to his representative, any such return will not involve Al-Ittihad — at least not in the current calendar year.