Xabi Alonso has been given his leave of absence at Real Madrid - and the name Jürgen Klopp is already being bandied about as a possible successor in some media. What Liverpool's ex-champion coach has to say and what he thinks of Alonso.
13.01.2026, 16:40
dpa
Jürgen Klopp has nipped rumors of a possible coaching comeback at Real Madrid as Xabi Alonso's successor in the bud. "It has nothing to do with me, of course, and it hasn't triggered anything in me either," said the former Liverpool FC coach on Austrian broadcaster ServusTV. On the day of Alonso's dismissal from the Whites, he did indeed receive many messages on his cell phone, "but not from Madrid".
Klopp (58) added that he was "really surprised" when the Spanish record champions parted ways with the former Leverkusen master coach after just six months: "And then a few people wrote and I sent back different emojis."
Sky: Klopp still on Real's list of coaches
One day after losing the Super Cup final against arch-rivals FC Barcelona, Real announced the departure of their ex-player Alonso. Álvaro Arbeloa, the current coach of the second team, will be in charge of the professionals around superstar Kylian Mbappé for the time being.
According to Sky, Klopp is a candidate at Real Madrid should the club decide to appoint a new coach in the summer. Real are very attractive to Klopp, according to Sky transfer expert Florian Plettenberg. If the current "Global Head of Soccer" at Red Bull were to receive a concrete offer, he would seriously consider it.
Klopp: Job at Real "final stage" for many coaches
Alonso's failure in Madrid shows that there is less and less time for development in professional football and that "the demands at Real are of course huge", said Klopp: "I'm really sorry for him, because I really think he's a great coach, and of course he'll go on. But that was his club and I think Real Madrid is the final stage for most coaches. Once you're there, you want to stay there."
Klopp also speculated as to why Alonso might have failed. As the successor to the Italian Carlo Ancelotti, who tended to lead the star ensemble with a long leash, it was difficult for the 44-year-old. "When you get there and then try to introduce a few new rules - that probably proved too difficult this time."
Alonso now to Liverpool? That's what Klopp says
The German does not believe that Alonso will quickly move to Klopp's former club Liverpool FC in the Premier League, where current coach Arne Slot is not without controversy. For those responsible at the Reds, the coaching decision in Madrid is unlikely to have any impact, "and I also don't believe that Xabi Alonso will simply quit Madrid today and somehow be ready to start somewhere else tomorrow".
Things will look different next summer, however, according to Klopp. "The coaching market will be shaken up, and it's not bad to be an observer and not have to think about what that could mean for you." He feels he is "in the right place" in his current role as "Global Head of Soccer" at Red Bull.
