Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has emphatically distanced himself from the vacant managerial position at Real Madrid, following the sudden dismissal of Xabi Alonso.
Klopp's live TV denial
The 58-year-old German was working as a television pundit for ServusTV On when news broke of Alonso's departure on Monday night. Quizzed live on air about the vacancy, Klopp was quick to shut down any suggestion he could be a candidate.
"It actually has (been ringing) - though not from Madrid," Klopp admitted when asked if his phone had been busy. "But yes, there were definitely a few people who felt they had to contact me directly about it!"
He swiftly clarified his position, stating: "This has absolutely nothing to do with me, and it didn't trigger anything for me either." Klopp insisted his career in club management is over, having taken up a role as Head of Global Soccer with Red Bull after leaving Anfield at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Surprise at Alonso's short reign
Klopp expressed genuine surprise at the decision to sack Alonso, who was only appointed in June 2025 and lasted a mere seven months. Despite losing just six of his 34 matches in charge, the former Bayer Leverkusen boss was shown the door less than 24 hours after a cup final defeat to Barcelona.
"I was surprised, that's true – genuinely surprised," Klopp said. He viewed the swift dismissal as a sign of modern football's impatience and the immense pressure at the Bernabeu. "If Xabi Alonso... is then forced to leave Madrid just six months later, it shows a few things," Klopp analysed. "On the one hand, it shows that nowadays there's no time anymore. On the other, the expectations at Real Madrid are obviously enormous."
Alonso's farewell and what comes next
Following his sacking, Alonso addressed his exit on social media, stating: "This chapter of my career has come to an end, and it hasn't gone as we would have liked." He thanked the club, players, and fans, adding he leaves with "respect, gratitude, and pride."
Real Madrid have swiftly placed Alvaro Arbeloa in temporary charge. Klopp's firm rejection adds his name to a growing list of high-profile managers who are not in the running for one of football's most pressurised jobs, following recent brief links to a return to Liverpool earlier this season.
The episode underscores the volatile nature of top-level management, where even a respected young coach like Alonso, who led Leverkusen to historic success, is granted minimal time to implement his ideas at a club of Real Madrid's stature.
