Jürgen Klopp has been linked to Real Madrid in recent times, given the club’s questionable form under current manager Xabi Alonso. The German has, of course, taken a hiatus from coaching after leaving Liverpool at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Since then, Klopp has taken up the role of Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull GmbH, where he has assumed a senior strategic position for their football teams. He left the Reds because he said he needed a break from the intensity of being a manager and that he didn’t have the energy to carry on.
But with Real Madrid now knocking at the door and with Klopp not having coached for a year and a half, can fans expect to see a surprise return on the cards?
Red Bull Chief Addresses Jürgen Klopp to Real Madrid Links
According to Red Bull’s managing director, Oliver Mintzlaff, Klopp will not return to coaching in the near future. He did, however, note that the former Borussia Dortmund boss could want a return to management down the line.
“Jürgen has made it clear that he doesn’t want to be a coach at the moment. Whether that changes at some point in his life, of course, is possible. But I can see how passionate he is about this job, how many ideas he has, and how much he wants to develop further. Therefore, I’m completely relaxed,” Mintzlaff said at an event hosted by Leipziger Volkszeitung (via Athletic journalist @SebSB on X).
During his time at Anfield, Klopp won every major honor on offer at least once. This included a memorable Premier League win in the 2019-20 season, which saw the Reds lift the first division title for the first time in 30 years.
Klopp also led Dortmund to two German championships, and his brand of high-intensity, pressing football made his teams very difficult to play against. One can see why Real Madrid are being linked with a manager of his caliber – Los Blancos are on a rancid run that has seen them win just two times in their last eight games, and the pressure is increasing on Alonso with every game where his team doesn’t win convincingly.
Real Madrid Star Says Team Supports Xabi Alonso Despite Form
Thibaut Courtois, meanwhile, is adamant that Alonso has the backing of the dressing room. Their most recent defeat, a 2-1 loss at the hands of Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League at home, wasn’t their worst result in the last few weeks.
However, it was another game where a lot of things – from Madrid’s tactics to the players’ commitment – were questioned once again. Courtois, who made a string of very important saves to give his team a fighting chance against City, said after the game (via the Guardian): “We didn’t feel that [this was a trial of the coach]. We have shown that we’re with the manager: we have played well, given 100%.”
They are seventh in the Champions League table with 12 points from six matches and trail leaders Barcelona by four points in LaLiga. Their next assignment is an away clash against Deportivo Alaves in the league on Dec. 14, with a Copa del Rey game sandwiched between that and a Dec. 20 LaLiga encounter against Sevilla. These three games are being billed by many as a must-win for Alonso and his men.
