From October 1, Roger Schmidt will take over as the company's global football boss, becoming the man responsible for continuing the development of a football network that stretches from Salzburg and Leipzig to New York and Brazil.

Schmidt was Red Bull boss Oliver Mintzlaff's preferred candidate for the position. There is also a familiarity that makes his appointment different from Klopp's arrival. Schmidt already knows the Red Bull system from his successful spell as Salzburg coach, meaning he is returning to an environment whose footballing principles are already familiar to him.

His working setup will also look different.

While Klopp operated from Munich, Schmidt will base himself in Salzburg, according to BILD. That puts him closer to the club where he previously made his name within the Red Bull network and gives the global football operation a different geographical centre.

He will not, however, arrive with a completely new team.

Zsolt Löw and Mario Gomez will remain part of the global structure, while Schmidt is bringing only his trusted associate Oliver Noe, who will become Head of Sporting Operations. The appointment therefore represents a change at the top without requiring Red Bull to rebuild its existing football department around him.

There will be less ceremony, too. Klopp received a major introductory press conference when he started the role in January 2025. Schmidt will instead have a more modest introduction, with a media briefing planned.

His first major public appearance is scheduled for October 10 on ZDF's Aktuelles Sportstudio. Before that, he is expected to watch RB Leipzig's home match against Eintracht Frankfurt.

By then, Schmidt will already have had plenty to think about.

Although his official start date is October 1, the report indicates that Schmidt has already been consulted on sporting matters, including Leipzig's coaching situation. Despite Demichelis taking only six points from his first four Bundesliga matches, Schmidt reportedly argued in favour of continuing to support the Argentine rather than making an immediate change.

That does not mean Schmidt intends to become a shadow coach. Like Klopp before him, he has ruled out returning to the Red Bull touchline.

Instead, his influence will come from above.

His footballing identity should also feel familiar to Red Bull supporters. Schmidt's teams are associated with aggressive pressing, high tempo, and intense work without the ball. Former Bundesliga midfielder Kevin Kampl, who played under Schmidt at Leverkusen and remains a close friend, believes the role suits him because of the experience he has accumulated across several countries.

"He carries the Red Bull DNA within him," Kampl told BILD, adding that Schmidt could have a major influence on keeping the network moving in the right direction.

Klopp brought Red Bull a global football philosophy from outside the organisation.

Schmidt arrives with something different: experience of the system itself, a familiar footballing identity, and a structure that is largely already in place.