Klopp has since retired from coaching and become Red Bull's Head of global football in a move that shocked many after he left Liverpool in 2024 to hand his head coach role to Arne Slot in dramatic fashion at Anfield.
Now, Klopp is to be handed the Walther Bensemann Prize, which recognises individuals who use the sport to foster cultural connection and social progress outside of the beautiful game.
Previous winners include the likes of Ottmar Hitzfeld, Vicente del Bosque, Joachim Low, Christian Streich, Franz Beckenbauer, Alfredo di Stefano, Sir Bobby Charlton. and former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who lifted the award in 2016, stating:
“I think to last 39 years as a coach is unique and also that the people I worked with bought into the work ethic I had, I think that was important.”
The award honours the memory of Bensemann, who is regarded as a pioneer of German football. He founded leading German sports magazine Kicker in 1920 before dying at the age of 61 in 1934.
Thiemo Muller, a member of kicker’s editorial board, explained the jury’s decision:
“Jurgen Klopp is without question a worthy recipient and a true bridge-builder in football. Despite his superstar status, he remains deeply authentic in his love for the roots of the game and consistently upholds the idea of football as a means of intercultural understanding — very much in the spirit of Walther Bensemann.”
“What we directly associate with Walther Bensemann’s mentality is Jurgen Klopp’s refreshing sense of humour in the often overly serious football business. As both a coach and a public figure, he embodies a unique and genuine style.”