Reports late on Monday that Jurgen Klopp would be taking over as new manager of Roma have already been dismissed, with his agent denying claims from Italy.
Italian newspaper La Stampa claimed on Monday that Klopp had given an 11th-hour approval to succeed Claudio Ranieri in the Roma dugout.
That sparked widespread speculation over the German departing his role with Red Bull and returning to management.
It was not the first time Klopp has been linked to a coaching job, having previously seen reports dismissed over positions with Real Madrid and the England and Germany national teams.
And this has proved to be the case again, with his agent Marc Kosicke denying reports when speaking to Arabic outlet winwin.
“Klopp coaching Roma?” Kosicke, who has long represented Klopp and is considered a close friend, said. “This news is not true.”
La Stampa have since retracted their claims and bizarrely blamed a video on social media which spelled out the initials of monuments in Rome, reading Kolosseum, Lupa, Olimpico, Pietro San, Pantheon – or K L O P P.
“The club this morning, after La Stampa relaunched the case, categorically denied: the German coach, a world icon after his years at Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund, will not sit on the Giallorossi bench,” their updated report reads.
Klopp remains happy in his role as global head of soccer for Red Bull, which has seen him take a wider view over the group’s stable of clubs worldwide.
That has included trips to Brazil, Japan and the United States to visit Red Bull Bragantino, RB Omiya Ardija and the New York Red Bulls, while he has naturally worked closely with German and Austrian sides Leipzig, Salzburg and Liefering.
His long-serving No. 2 Peter Krawietz recently stepped into the short-term role of assistant at Leipzig, supporting Zsolt Low following the sacking of Marco Rose, though their campaign ended in disappointment.
Leipzig finished seventh in the Bundesliga and therefore will not play European football in any capacity next season, with their rebuild no doubt a key part of Klopp’s strategy working within Red Bull.
