Jurgen Klopp's Presence At Red Bull Will Help French Second Level Club Singi PSG

Jurgen Klopp will help with the development of Paris FC which Red Bull (Instagram/@kloppo) will soon have.

JAKARTA - The Arnault family, the owner of the LVMH which oversees many world luxury fashion brands, plans to leverage Jurgen Klopp's expertise as part of an ambitious project to turn Paris FC into a force in French football.

The takeover of the French second-level club by the Arnault family brought the giant Red Bull energy drink as a minority shareholder.

Klopp, a former Liverpool manager, will join Red Bull as Head of Global Football in January 2024.

"I've spoken to Klopp several times. He's very, very excited to work with us," said Antoine Arnault, son of billionaire Bernard Arnault.

Arnault spoke on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, local time, at a press conference at the team's training ground, Orly, located 14 miles south of Paris.

"We didn't come alone. Red Bull is on our side because we know what we're good at and what we're not."

"We have management skills, but nothing in football operations," said Arnault.

Arnault highlighted plans to leverage Red Bull devices to filter the abundant football talent in Paris.

"Paris may have the best talent in the world, only rivaling Sao Paulo. Red Bull's revolutionary data devices will greatly assist our talent search efforts," he said.

Arnault also outlined plans for the majority of the family's shares.

"This is a family project that we started with my brothers and sisters."

"We thought it was a great idea to try something more thrilling than our usual activities. Football has been my passion since I was 10 years old," Arnault told reporters.

Arnault's family parent company, Agache, will acquire 52 percent stake in the club, while Red Bull will hold 11 percent.

Arnault will represent Agache at the Paris FC Board of Directors. Meanwhile, the current president and club owner, Pierre Ferracci, will retain 30 percent of the shares for now.

He said the takeover had been approved by the French League Agency, with an agreement expected to be finalized on November 29, 2024.

In 2027, the Arnault family will hold about 80 percent of the shares, with Red Bull increasing its holdings to 15 percent in Paris FC.

The acquisition puts Paris FC as a potential competitor for Paris Saint-Germain, a large Qatar-backed club. However, Arnault played down any competition.

"PSG is a club I have loved since I was 12 years old. You will never hear me say anything negative about it."

"I do not rule out the possibility of supporting two clubs in the capital," he said again.

Arnault described the project as a long-term effort to lift the Paris FC men's and women's team towards top-level success.

Ferracci, who has led Paris FC since 2012, stressed the importance of sustainable growth for the club.

"There is a matter of sovereignty in football. If Paris FC could stand out with French investment, it would be a very good thing," Ferracci said, referring to the dominance of foreign ownership in French clubs.

Founded in 1969, Paris FC has not achieved significant success. This year, they lead the Ligue 2 standings with more than half the season remaining.

Their women's team competes in the top French league and Women's Champions League.

"We're not doing this to make money. We want to provide an emotional experience for fans."

"We are deeply inspired by the Olympics and its positive impact. Even though we are not used to wasting money, we will try to achieve financial balance," said Arnault.