Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso, who has been linked with a return to Anfield, has left Real Madrid.
Alonso has been under pressure in Spain for some time, enduring a difficult debut season with Los Blancos.
In the end, it was decided this week that the Spaniard would leave Madrid after a 3-2 loss to FC Barcelona this past weekend.
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Liverpool were linked with Alonso earlier in the campaign, while Jurgen Klopp is now being mooted to take the job at Real.
CHANGE MY MIND: Xabi Alonso should be appointed Liverpool manager as soon as possible 🔄
Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid C.F. Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4
Credit: Matt McNulty/Getty Images
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Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp quizzed on Real Madrid job
Klopp has not taken up a managerial role since leaving Anfield, but was asked about joining Madrid just hours after Alonso’s dismissal.
While working for ServusTV On, one pundit asked the German: “About two hours ago the news suddenly broke that Xabi Alonso is no longer the coach of Real Madrid. So my question is: has your phone already started ringing?”
Klopp went on to reveal that he has already had contact about the job, though not from the club directly.
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He responded: “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, which would probably have been the follow-up question. I was surprised, that’s true – genuinely surprised. Then a few people messaged me, and I replied with various emojis.”
How weird would it be to see Jurgen Klopp manage another team? At least Alonso can come to Liverpool…
Jurgen Klopp attends Ligue 1 game between Paris FC and Metz
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Red Bull chief on Jurgen Klopp to Real Madrid
Since leaving Liverpool, Klopp has taken up a role with Red Bull, where boss Oliver Mintzlaff has addressed the Real Madrid rumours.
Speaking in December, he said: “Jurgen 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.”
It will be interesting to see if Klopp has now changed his mind a month on. Perhaps the lure of working for one of the most successful European clubs could be enough?
If that is the case, Liverpool could end up playing against their former manager at some point in the Champions League knockout phases later this season.
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