Things have just gotten a lot more likely
It’s now almost 18 months since Jürgen Klopp stepped into the dugout and for the second time during that break he is being heavily linked to the Spanish giants again.
Florentino Perez reportedly dreams of having Klopp in his technical area at Real Madrid. However, Klopp says that he feels perfectly comfortable in his role with RB.
Still Head of Global Soccer at RB
Sky Sport Journalist Florian Plettenberg, has reported another inside piece of information. According to Plettenberg, Klopp may actually consider the Real Madrid job in the Summer. As reported in the piece below, if Madrid sack their current manager in approximately six months (Arbeloa) then this could potentially happen.
This could also present an opportunity for Klopp as this would be an attractive offer to him, although he has a long-term contract with Red Bull and is committed to the Red Bull project.
Jurgen Klopp – teamtalk.com
If Madrid push Klopp hard enough, he will certainly give it serious consideration.
Perez has been the number one target for Florentino Perez for some time now. The Madrid President is determined to convince Klopp to join the club, reports Footmercato’s Santi Aouna. Klopp is well known for handling massive pressure and I highly doubt he would compromise his gegenpressing philosophy in order to accommodate Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius in his front line.
Klopp shot down the rumors immediately stating: “This has nothing to do with me and it has triggered no reaction whatsoever. The coaching market is experiencing an absolute frenzy at the moment and I think it is nice to watch it all unfold from the sidelines without worrying about what it means for myself. Because I am in the correct position.”
Back in December 2025, one of Red Bull’s Directors, Oliver Mintzlaff stated: “Jürgen has made it clear that he does not currently wish to be a coach. Of course, that can change at some stage in his life. I can see how passionate he is about our work; how many ideas he has and how much he wants to continue to develop and evolve.”
Klopp and Real – It’s Not the First Time
They first attempted to lure Klopp to Real Madrid in April 2025, however according to Marca, Klopp had doubts and initially turned the board down… then regretted it by the time May arrived. Unfortunately for Klopp, Real Madrid had already agreed terms with Xabi Alonso.
Journalists have been sending Klopp to Madrid since as early as 2013, when he was at Borussia Dortmund. At the time, Klopp had no intention of leaving: “Next season I’ll be at Borussia unless I do something awful and they sack me. That’s it. It’s a great honor if anyone mentions my name as a potential replacement for Mourinho. Far better than hearing ‘anyone but Klopp’.”
Klopp has always had a high regard for Real Madrid. He recalled the 2021-22 Champions League Final in an interview with Toni Kroos on his podcast: “It was extremely difficult to press you guys. There was so much individual talent and such coolness under pressure. I’ve never seen a team defend under pressure as well as your Real. We did a lot in that 2022 final, but Courtois was on fire and saved everything. I still don’t understand how we lost to you.”
He added in February 2023: “Thank God we don’t play you every week. You always punish teams and never forgive for making mistakes. Defending against you is way more challenging than playing in Premier League matches.”
Zinedine Zidane – goal.com
Fans Want Zidane Back. But the Chances of That Are Minimal
Real fans desperately want Zinedine Zidane to return. Fans created a banner to show support for Zizou outside of Valdebebas on the day of Xabi Alonso’s farewell and Arbeloa’s presentation.
El Mundo report that the dressing room is in shock, as the players fought to the end in Saudi Arabia, thinking that Xabi would remain. Some players believed that if Xabi left, then Zidane would join.
Zizou will forever be in the running due to his legendary status at Real Madrid, however the chances of him returning are extremely low: everything suggests he will take the France national team managerial job after the 2026 World Cup.
