Jurgen Klopp Makes Clear Statement About Real Madrid Manager’s Job Amid Rumours He Could Replace Xabi Alonso

Jurgen Klopp has made his position on Real Madrid clear following the club’s decision to sack Xabi Alonso.

Real Madrid axed Alonso on Monday, less than 24 hours after he had overseen a 3-2 loss to Barcelona in the final of the Spanish Super Cup.

Despite that defeat — which slightly improved Barcelona’s head-to-head record in finals against Real Madrid — Alonso won 70.59% of his 34 games in charge of Los Blancos.

But despite that impressive win-rate, Real Madrid are currently four points behind Barcelona in the La Liga title race — after finishing 10 points behind their fierce rivals in the 2025 La Liga calendar year table.

Jurgen Klopp rumoured to be a candidate for the Real Madrid job

Alonso’s sacking immediately fired up the rumour mill, while a betting market on the next Real Madrid manager also quickly opened up.

Klopp is currently the 4/1 third favourite in the betting, behind only Enzo Maresca (2/1) and Zinedine Zidane (3/1).

The German has been out of the dugout since calling time on his eight-and-a-half-year reign at Liverpool in May 2024 — although he was appointed Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull GmbH in January 2025.

Jurgen Klopp responds to Real Madrid links

Despite being named among the leading candidates to replace Alonso at Real Madrid, Klopp played down the speculation and suggested the situation had nothing to do with him.

Speaking on Servus TV in Austria shortly after news of Alonso’s sacking broke, Klopp revealed that his phone had been busy — but not with calls from Madrid.

He said: “It actually has — though not from Madrid. But yes, there were definitely a few people who felt they had to contact me directly about it.

“First of all, I think it’s another sign that something isn’t quite right there at the moment. If Xabi Alonso, who over the last two years in Leverkusen has shown what an outstanding coaching talent he is — and I think at his age and with the number of jobs he’s had, you can say that — is then forced to leave Madrid just six months later, it shows a few things.

“On the one hand, it shows that nowadays there’s no time anymore. On the other, the expectations at Real Madrid are obviously enormous.

“To make a decision like that in the heat of the moment, after losing a cup final to Barcelona yesterday, says a lot. I think we’d already been hearing rumours for a while.

“And now — I don’t know if that’s where your question was going — but this has absolutely nothing to do with me, and it didn’t trigger anything for me either.”

Klopp also admitted he was taken aback by how quickly events unfolded.

He added: “I was surprised, that’s true — genuinely surprised. Then a few people messaged me, and I replied with various emojis.”

What has Jurgen Klopp said previously about his managerial future?

Klopp has also spoken openly in recent months about his future plans — and whether he sees himself returning to coaching at all.

Speaking on The Diary of a CEO podcast in October 2025, the former Liverpool manager stressed that he is happy in his current role and does not miss many of the demands that come with life in the dugout.

Klopp explained: “I said I will never coach a team in England again — that means if it’s Liverpool, theoretically it’s possible. I don’t know exactly. I love what I do right now. I don’t miss coaching, I do coach now but just different.

“I don’t miss standing in the rain, two-and-a-half to three hours. I don’t miss going to press conferences three times a week, having 12 interviews a week. I don’t miss that, I don’t.

“I don’t miss being in the dressing room. I coached something like 1,080 games so I was in a dressing room often. I don’t want to die in a dressing room because it’s not nice — it smells.”

Klopp added that while he has not completely ruled out a return one day, he feels no pressure to make any immediate decision about his future.

He said: “There might be something — I’m 58 — I could make the decision in a few years. I don’t know. Do I have to make the decision today that I will not coach again? Thank God I don’t have to. I can just see what the future brings.

“Now I’m in a project I really love. I like doing what I’m doing right now. In my mind, only if I’m focused 100 per cent, I can do it really good.”