Jurgen Klopp had hinted he will never manage again after leaving Liverpool (Image: Getty Images)
Jurgen Klopp has refused to completely shut the door on a potential return to management amid speculation linking him with Real Madrid. The German tactician walked away from the dugout following his departure from Liverpool in 2024 and said he wouldn’t return to the touchline. But as a result of his success at multiple clubs, Klopp remains a name associated with football’s most prestigious positions. Klopp is presently serving as Red Bull’s global head of football, where he supervises their network of clubs including RB Leipzig, New York Red Bulls and Paris FC.
Since stepping away from Liverpool, Klopp has consistently expressed his satisfaction working in a behind-the-scenes capacity with Red Bull. However, his name has now surfaced as a possible contender for the Real Madrid hot seat following Xabi Alonso’s dismissal last week. The La Liga giants have appointed Alonso’s former team-mate and friend Alvaro Arbeloa as his replacement, though this hasn’t dampened the rumours linking Klopp to the job.
The 58-year-old acknowledged he had exhausted his energy and desire for the intense demands of management when he departed Liverpool in May 2024, but he isn’t categorically dismissing a future return to the touchline.
“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.”
Sky Sports say that Real Madrid are eyeing Klopp as a potential target and he said of Alonso’s exit: “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.”
In a conversation with The Athletic back in September, Klopp suggested his position at Red Bull might serve as a pathway back into club management, whilst speculation continues to link him with the Germany national team role. “I know I can coach a football team, but that doesn’t mean I have to do it until my last day,” he said.
“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’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.
“I’ve got to know a lot of people who I didn’t know before. I’ve been to a lot of business meetings and learned words that I never knew before. It’s been a good time. One year in, five years of experience gained.”