Former Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp has quashed rumours linking him to the top position at Real Madrid, amidst speculation over Xabi Alonso’s future. Alonso, a former Liverpool player himself, took the reins at Bernabeu this summer after leading Bayer Leverkusen to an unbeaten Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal double in his second year.
Alonso was also touted as a potential successor to Klopp at Anfield, but Real Madrid swooped in to appoint the ex-Spanish international as Carlo Ancelotti’s replacement. Despite being hailed as one of Europe’s most promising young managers, Alonso’s tenure in Madrid has been challenging so far.
Real Madrid currently trail Barcelona by four points in the La Liga title race and suffered a defeat at the hands of Manchester City in the Champions League this week.
They sit seventh in the league phase of the tournament, on track to secure a top-eight finish.
However, with just two victories in their last eight matches, the pressure is mounting on Alonso.
Klopp, who is now Head of Global Soccer for the Red Bull group, has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the Madrid job. The German coach decided to step back from the daily grind of management and has held his current role since the beginning of the year.
Nonetheless, this hasn’t deterred speculation about a potential return to the touchline.
Sky Sports Germany claimed that Klopp, ex-Liverpool defender Alvaro Arbeloa and Zinedine Zidane were amongst the potential contenders to replace Alonso at the helm.
However, Spanish publication SPORT has provided a fresh update regarding the managerial situation at the Bernabeu, citing remarks from Red Bull’s global director of football, Oliver Mintzlaff, which appear to eliminate Klopp from contention.
“He has made it clear that he doesn’t want to be a coach at the moment,” Mintzlaff revealed at an event organised by Leipziger Volkszeitung.
SPORT further reports that Zidane has also been ruled out owing to his forthcoming involvement with the French national side.
This development suggests that Arbeloa emerges as the frontrunner to succeed Alonso should Real Madrid opt to make a change in their coaching position.