Jurgen Klopp has secured an unexpected role at the Winter Olympics, where he will signal the start of the final lap during the men’s biathlon relay this Tuesday afternoon.
The 58-year-old, who currently serves as head of soccer for the Red Bull group, developed his passion for the sport that blends cross-country skiing with rifle shooting during his upbringing in Germany’s Black Forest region.
The former Liverpool boss, who claimed both the Champions League and Premier League titles during his nine-year tenure at Anfield between 2015 and 2024, has long harboured an admiration for Norwegian biathlon icon Ole Einar Bjorndalen, the 14-time Winter Olympics medallist dubbed the “King of Biathlon”.
Klopp’s enthusiasm for winter sports extends well beyond biathlon, encompassing the full spectrum of snow-based disciplines.
“I’m a fan of everything,” Klopp said.
“I love all alpine skiing, I love all cross-country skiing disciplines, I love biathlon. It’s all just exciting.”
The German admitted that while years of viewing and personal experience have given him insight into certain sports, others remain a mystery.
Jurgen Klopp has secured an unexpected role at the Winter Olympics, where he will signal the start of the final lap during the men’s biathlon relay this Tuesday afternoon
|GETTY
“I have no idea how someone can bend down so low in curling, stay stable, and still push a kettle,” he remarked.
When approached about ringing the bell, Klopp confessed his initial unfamiliarity with the tradition.
He stated: “I was even asked if I would like to ring the bell before the last lap. My first question was: What is that? We will be there; it’s my first live race.”
Jurgen Klopp is a huge admirer of Winter Olympics icon Ole Einar Bjorndalen
|GETTY
Klopp’s reverence for Bjorndalen reached its peak when the pair came together for a 2019 documentary entitled “Klopp Meets Bjorndalen”.
“I don’t think Ole Einar has bigger admirers than me,” Klopp said at the time.
“In England they have no idea what biathlon is. They wondered who this Norwegian was, but when I heard it, I said: ‘Yes, I want to meet him. Where and when can I meet him?'”
The former Liverpool manager placed Bjorndalen on his bucket list and drew striking comparisons to sporting royalty.
“It’s like meeting Muhammad Ali in boxing. Bjorndalen is biathlon. I try to explain it to the English. He is Franz Beckenbauer, Pele and Bobby Moore in one person.”
Jurgen Klopp currently works at Red Bull following his departure from Liverpool in 2025
| PABjorndalen himself expressed surprise at the depth of Klopp’s devotion to the sport when they met.
“It was very surprising that he was such a big fan of me and biathlon,” the Norwegian said. “He said he had followed my career, so he was a real blood fan.”
The biathlon legend described Klopp as “even more awesome in real life”, adding: “He was so easy to talk to that it was as if I had known him for 10 years. A person who is very easy to love.”
Klopp will be hoping his bell-ringing duties pass without incident, unlike former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s notorious mishap at the London 2012 Games, when a bell flew off its handle and nearly struck bystanders.