Amid growing links to Real Madrid, former Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp admitted he is “at peace” in his current role at Red Bull, though he cannot say “never” to a potential return to the touchline in the future.
Los Blancos parted ways with Xabi Alonso just two weeks into 2026 after the Spaniard failed to return from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with the Spanish Super Cup title. Club chiefs immediately promoted Álvaro Arbeloa from Real Madrid Castilla to the first team, but his reign kicked off with a shock Copa del Rey exit at the hands of La Liga 2 side, Albacete.
With such instability sweeping through Valdebebas, speculation mounted about a potential big-name manager coming in to take charge of the 15-time Champions League winners this summer. Both Klopp and ex-Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca were reportedly on Real Madrid’s shortlist, but the former has dismissed the links to the Bernabéu.
“As a person, I’m completely at peace with where I am. I don’t want to be somewhere else,” Klopp told the media in Leipzig. The 58-year-old bid farewell to Anfield at the end of the 2023–24 season and soon after became Red Bull’s Head of Global Soccer.
“I know I can coach a football team, but that doesn’t mean I have to do it until my last day. I wanted to do something different. Red Bull gave me an opportunity to find a role which we have been defining together, step by step.
“I don’t expect to change my mind, but I don’t know. Do I want to coach again? At the moment, I would say no, but I can’t say ‘never, never, never.’ At the moment, I’m very happy with what I’m doing.”
Klopp: ‘No Clue’ Why Real Madrid Cut Ties With Alonso
Despite a strong start to his tenure at Real Madrid, Alonso only managed 34 games before his sudden exit. Los Blancos were trailing Barcelona by four points in La Liga’a standings and sat seventh in the Champions League table at the time of the 44-year-old’s dismissal.
“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,” Klopp revealed.
“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.”
Indeed, the Spanish giants are still hindered by the same issues that plagued them under Alonso. Real Madrid were whistled off the their own pitch at the weekend for a wretchedly poor first half against 19th place Levante, in which an XI consisting Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham only managed one shot on target in the opening 45 minutes.
“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,” Klopp added.
For now, Real Madrid are sticking with Arbeloa, who is thought to have been offered a one-year deal in a sign of good faith from the club. The former right back could face the same fate as Alonso, though, if he fails to get the team back on track in the second half of the 2025–26 season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Change My Mind’—Jurgen Klopp Gives Definitive Response to Real Madrid Links.
