Roger Schmidt Returns to Red Bull as Head of Global Soccer
The Red Bull football empire has turned to a familiar face to fill one of the most powerful positions in the modern game. Roger Schmidt is coming back.
On Friday, Red Bull confirmed that the 59-year-old will take over as Head of Global Soccer, stepping into the role vacated by Jürgen Klopp. Schmidt starts on 1 October and has signed a long-term deal, a clear sign that Red Bull see this as a strategic appointment, not a stopgap.
Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO of Red Bull, did not hide his satisfaction. He hailed Schmidt’s “many years of experience,” his “outstanding football expertise” and, crucially, his deep understanding of the Red Bull way. For a group built on a clear, aggressive football identity and a conveyor belt of young talent, that alignment matters as much as any trophy.
Schmidt’s track record fits the brief. Red Bull know exactly what they are getting.
Back to the Red Bull cosmos
For Schmidt, this is not a leap into the unknown but a return to a system he once helped define. Between 2012 and 2014, he turned RB Salzburg into a relentless machine, winning the Austrian league and cup double in his second season. His high-octane, pressing-heavy football did not just dominate domestically; it caught the eye across Europe and earned him a move to the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen in 2014.
At Leverkusen, Schmidt’s intense style became his calling card in one of the game’s toughest environments. From there, his path took him through two more heavyweight benches: PSV Eindhoven from 2020 to 2022 and Benfica from 2022 to 2024, adding further weight to his reputation as a coach comfortable under big-club scrutiny.
His most recent chapter was different. Since October 2025, Schmidt has been working in Japan’s J.League as Global Sports Director, a strategic role he was contracted to until 2027. That he now leaves that post early underlines how compelling Red Bull’s offer – and responsibility – must be.
Filling Klopp’s considerable shoes
The vacancy at Red Bull only opened because of a seismic move in international football. Jürgen Klopp, appointed Germany head coach after Julian Nagelsmann resigned in the wake of a disappointing World Cup, stepped away from his Red Bull duties to take the national job.
Klopp had been Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull since the start of 2025, his contract there originally running until the end of 2029. Yet when the DFB came calling, the expected tug-of-war never materialised. Contrary to initial expectations, Germany’s federation did not have to pay compensation to Red Bull, smoothing Klopp’s path to the national dugout. His deal with the DFB now runs until after the 2030 World Cup.
That left a sizeable void. Red Bull’s global football portfolio stretches across continents, age groups and styles, but is bound by one philosophy: develop young players, play front-foot football, sell smart, compete hard. Klopp had been the figurehead of that structure. Now Schmidt steps into that same spotlight.
A role built on youth, ambition and identity
Schmidt knows exactly what he is walking into.
“I am very much looking forward to this new challenge and am proud to once again be part of the Red Bull family in future,” he said, reflecting on a coaching journey that began with early stints at Preußen Münster and SC Paderborn before he rose into the European elite.
He called Red Bull’s international club network “unique” and “ambitious,” stressing the blend that has defined the group’s rise: a clear philosophy of developing young talents while still pushing to win at the highest level. “It is precisely this combination that makes this role particularly appealing to me,” Schmidt added.
That combination will now be his daily reality. From academy prospects in smaller markets to first-team regulars in Europe’s top leagues, Schmidt will shape the sporting direction of a global system designed to unearth, polish and project talent onto the biggest stages.
Red Bull wanted someone who already speaks that language. In Roger Schmidt, they have brought back one of its original dialects.
