Jurgen Klopp says he was ‘genuinely surprised’ by Xabi Alonso’s sacking at Real Madrid and has played down speculation he could now be in line for the Bernabeu job.
Alonso lasted lower than eight months as Real Madrid manager before being dismissed on Monday afternoon, lower than 24 hours after losing to rivals Barcelona within the Spanish Super Cup.
Real Madrid, who said Alonso had left the club by ‘mutual consent’, announced Alvaro Arbeloa had been placed in temporary charge of the side.
Klopp was soon being linked with the Real Madrid job after Alonso’s departure but the previous Liverpool manager insists the announcement has ‘absolutely nothing to do with me’.
The Anfield legend was working as a pundit on ServusTV On shortly after Alonso’s sacking and was asked about his links to Real Madrid.
‘About two hours ago the news suddenly broke that Xabi Alonso isn’t any longer the coach of Real Madrid,’ the host said. ‘So my query is that this: has your phone already began ringing?’
Klopp responded: ‘It actually has — though not from Madrid. But yes, there have been definitely just a few individuals who felt that they had to contact me directly about it.
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‘To start with, I feel it’s one other sign that something isn’t quite right there in the intervening time.
‘If Xabi Alonso, who over the past two years in Leverkusen has shown what an impressive coaching talent he’s – and I feel at his age and with the variety of jobs he’s had, you possibly can say that — is then forced to depart Madrid just six months later, it shows just a few things.
‘On the one hand, it shows that these days there’s no time anymore. On the opposite, the expectations at Real Madrid are obviously enormous.
‘To make a choice like that in the warmth of the moment, after losing a cup final to Barcelona yesterday, says quite a bit. I feel we’d already been hearing rumours for some time.
‘And now – I don’t know if that’s where your query was going – but this has absolutely nothing to do with me, and it didn’t trigger anything for me either, which might probably have been the follow-up query.
‘I used to be surprised, that’s true – genuinely surprised. Then just a few people messaged me, and I replied with various emojis.’
Klopp has been and not using a management job since leaving Liverpool at the tip of the 2023-24 season.
The previous Borussia Dortmund boss won the Premier League and Champions League during his hugely celebrated Liverpool reign.
Klopp joined Red Bull as their Head of Global Soccer in the beginning of 2025 and has repeatedly indicated he is just not searching for one other manager job.
Alonso, the most effective midfielders of his generation who won five trophies at Real Madrid as a player, enjoyed huge success during his first managerial stint at Bayer Leverkusen.
The ex-Spain international guided Leverkusen to an unprecedented unbeaten domestic double in 2024, with the German club winning their first ever Bundesliga title.
Much was expected of Alonso upon his Real Madrid return but his spell in charge lasted lower than seven months.
In addition to losing the Spanish Super Cup final, Real Madrid have fallen 4 points behind their arch-rivals in La Liga and lost two of their last three Champions League games.
Barcelona sporting director Deco was also ‘surprised’ by Real Madrid’s decision to axe Alonso.
‘The reality is that it surprised me,’ said Deco. ‘He hasn’t been there long, he’s mainly just began.
‘They’re within the Champions League and only 4 points behind Barca in La Liga. But we all know the impact that Barca-Madrid games have, they’re at all times complicated situations, and the coaches are the primary to suffer.’
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