Legendary ex-Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp has been linked with a stunning return to management
ISMANING, GERMANY - MARCH 23: Jürgen Klopp attends the presentation of the MagentaTV team for the FUFA World Cup 2026 at DMC Production Germany GmbH on March 23, 2026 in Ismaning, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Jurgen Klopp is closing in on two years out of management(Image: Alexander Hassenstein, Getty Images)
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Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is reportedly in the sights of Real Madrid. However, the Spanish giants may have a job on their hands to persuade the German to step into the Los Blancos hot seat, with Klopp thought to be eyeing the German national team job.
Since leaving Anfield after nine successful years, Klopp has taken on a role as head of global football with the Red Bull Group. He is also an advisor to the German Football League.
Klopp's primary job sees him overseeing Red Bull's multi-club structure, including RB Leipzig, New York Red Bulls, and Paris FC. Having stepped out of the spotlight, he has repeatedly stated how happy he is working behind the scenes with Red Bull.
Klopp has also distanced himself from a return to club management, despite being linked with several high-profile positions. According to Marca, however, Real are looking for change after Alvaro Arbeloa, who stepped into the breach following Xabi Alonso's sacking in January after just under seven months in charge, has underwhelmed.
While Arbeloa initially steadied the ship, Madrid's Champions League quarter-final exit to Bayern Munich, and the fact that they are currently way off the pace of league leaders Barcelona, has put the former defender's position in deep jeopardy.
The outlet states that there is a growing sense within the Madrid hierarchy that Klopp could be the man to restore an 'emotional intensity' alongside a unique tactical ability that few managers on the market possess, with his name continuing to circulate internally.
It also claims that the Germans' track record of unifying a squad and managing high-level egos is paramount to solving Madrid's current issues. Other names linked with Madrid include Zinedine Zidane, who has already managed the club twice, as well as United States national team boss Mauricio Pochettino.
Jurgen Klopp celebrates with the Premier League trophy
Klopp won the Premier League with Liverpool in 2020(Image: LAURENCE GRIFFITHS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
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Madrid could be wise to steel themselves for disappointment, however. According to AS, the only job that would tempt Klopp back into the dugout is with Germany.
The Spanish publication reports that managing his country is his long-term ambition. Whether Klopp gets to fulfil that ambition in the near future could depend on how Germany fare at the World Cup under Julian Nagelsmann, who has a contract until after Euro 2028.
The 58-year-old Klopp admitted he had lost the energy and appetite for the highly pressurised role of management when he left Liverpool in May 2024, but he is refusing to rule out stepping back into the dugout in the future and addressed the links with Real.
Alvaro Arbeloa looks on for Real Madrid
Alvaro Arbeloa is under pressure at Real Madrid(Image: Getty Images)
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“I’m in a place, as a person, where I’m completely at peace with where I am. I don’t want to be somewhere else,” Klopp told AFP. “I don’t get up and excited if Real Madrid are showing interest. If they would be, but it’s the media.
“Do I want to coach again? At the moment, I would say no, but I cannot say never, never, never. I don’t expect to change my mind, but I don’t know.”
Earlier this year he said: “When I heard the news about Xabi Alonso, it was a bit of a mix. Yes, I was surprised. And no, I wasn’t surprised. I was like, ‘What?’ And, ‘Yeah, of course’. I have no clue why it happened, but it’s always a specific case and not a general problem, because what they see now, Real Madrid, is that bringing in just the next one is not that easy.
“I would recommend if you sack a manager, you better have an idea who you want to succeed him. And it should be realistic. If they think they can get Pep Guardiola, I would say there’s not a big chance.”
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