Klopp addresses Mainz protests on Kroos brothers podcast

FSV Mainz 05 supporters did not miss the opportunity to register their discontent with former trainer Jürgen Klopp's decision to continue his career as an RB Leipzig administrator during a recent league encounter. When Mainz hosted RB Leipzig for a match-day seven Bundesliga encounter, the FSV ultra Kurve unveiled several protest banners. 

One banner read "bist du beKloppt?" (a play on words translating to "Are you batshit nuts?"). Another took a spin on one of Klopp's famous quotes from his 2008 departure. Klopp credited Mainz for launching his coaching career and noted that he owed everything to the Rheinhessen club. A banner read "Everything we gave you, you forgot." 

Speaking on the famed "Einfach man Luppen" podcast hosted by Germany's footballing Kroos brothers Toni and Felix, Klopp addressed the protests. Klopp made no apology for his career choice, pointing out that most of the younger members of the Kurve weren't a part of the end of his playing career and the beginning of his coaching path. 

"Most of the fans in the stands are in their 20s," Klopp said, "They were children when I was there and were barely cognizant of what was going on back then."

The 57-year-old noted that he never based his choices in life on attempting to please everyone as that "leads to daily failures." RB's new Head of Global Soccer also cast doubt that he might attend a Mainz match in the near future, even though he is known to still support the club. Protests continue to accompany RB Leipzig wherever they happen to travel in the Bundesrepublik.

"I would have liked to gone to the stadium in Mainz to attend a match every now and then," Klopp said, "but to go somewhere where there would be a huge fuss just makes me uncomfortable as a person." 

For his part, Klopp's close friend and current Mainzer CEO Christian Heidel has already criticized the Mainzer protest action. The club which still celebrates Klopp, in Heidel's estimation, would still accord the man who once bade them a tearful farewell a warm welcome back.

"I'm almost sure that 95 percent of the people will applaud because he deserves it," Heidel - as quoted by Kicker Magazine journalist Michael Ebert - is on record as saying, "Because this club, in the way it exists today, wouldn't exist without Jürgen Klopp."