Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is high on Real Madrid’s wish list as they look for a new manager after Xabi Alonso’s sudden exit.

Klopp, who now heads Global Soccer for Red Bull and oversees clubs like RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg, left Liverpool at the end of the 2023-24 season. Arne Slot took over and managed to win the Premier League in his very first year—a tough act to follow.

Instead of jumping straight back into management, Klopp took a break from coaching and chose a different path with Red Bull.

Now, with Alonso gone, Real Madrid are back in the market. Alonso left after Madrid lost 3-2 to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in Jeddah. He’d only just arrived from Bayer Leverkusen and got Madrid to the Club World Cup semi-finals, but in La Liga, they’re still four points behind Barca.

So, the rumours started flying. When Sky Germany reported that Klopp was a top target for Real, he got asked if the Spanish giants had called him. He didn’t dodge the question.

“Yeah, there were definitely a few people who reached out to me about the Real Madrid job,” Klopp told ServusTV. “Honestly, I think it just shows something isn’t quite right there at the moment. It’s got nothing to do with me and didn’t make me feel anything. I was surprised; that’s true. A few people messaged me, and I just replied with a bunch of emojis.”

Klopp didn’t hold back about the pressure managers face at Real. Alonso took over from Carlo Ancelotti—a club legend, adored by fans, and a three-time Champions League winner. But six months in, Alonso is already out.

“If Xabi Alonso, who’s really shown what a talented coach he is at Leverkusen—and at his age, with the jobs he’s had, you can say that—gets forced out of Madrid after just six months, it says a lot,” Klopp went on. “First, it shows there’s no time anymore. Second, the expectations at Real are huge. Deciding that right after losing a final to Barcelona says a lot. Plus, we’d all heard the rumours for a while.”

Alonso’s coaching career started at Bayer Leverkusen. He led them to their first-ever Bundesliga title, going unbeaten the entire season. Bayern Munich derailed their title defence the next year, and Alonso moved to Madrid.

Now, former teammate Alvaro Arbeloa has stepped up from Madrid’s Castilla side to take charge.

Alonso admitted things didn’t work out. “It hasn’t turned out as we would have liked. Coaching Real Madrid has been both an honour and a responsibility. I thank the club, the players, and above all, the fans and the Madridista community for their trust and support. I leave with respect, gratitude, and the pride of having done my best.”

The feud between La Liga president Javier Tebas and Real Madrid’s Florentino Perez isn’t showing any signs of ending. This week, Tebas took the stage at the Europa Press Sports Breakfast and, instead of talking about the game itself, went straight after the Real Madrid leadership. He defended La Liga’s choices and zeroed in on Perez’s role in all the recent drama.

Everyone’s been talking about Real Madrid’s split from Xabi Alonso, but Tebas thinks there’s a bigger problem hanging over Spanish football.

So, what’s the real issue? Right away, Tebas shot down criticism over the league’s deal with CVC. He said Madrid’s legal push against it just twists reality.

“La Liga didn’t try to take anything from Real Madrid or win in court for the other clubs. We spoke with many club presidents, and it was all explained clearly.

“The clubs’ ownership was never at risk. Everyone got the facts; everything else is just noise.

“The real problem has always been Real Madrid. If we don’t wake up, they’ll end up destroying Spanish football, just like what’s happening elsewhere in Europe,” Tebas said.

Then he moved on to why the CVC deal even matters. According to him, it’s been key for updating stadiums and boosting both attendance and revenue across Spain.

“You’ve got to understand the CVC plan—it’s directly tied to the list of stadiums getting renovated, which means more fans and more money.”

And Tebas didn’t just stick to recent fights. He brought up old scandals, comparing the current Negreira case to earlier match-fixing problems and calling out Madrid for staying quiet back then.

“Florentino once called the Negreira case the worst thing to hit Spanish football. But honestly, he’s wrong. The worst was the match-buying between 2008 and 2013. Teams are paid to stay in the league.

“That was the real scandal. And what did Florentino do? He looked the other way.

“In 2010, there was a wiretapped call with the Hercules president—match-buying came up. Who ignored it? Who didn’t back an investigation? Real Madrid,” Tebas said, not holding back.

Back on the Negreira case, Tebas argued that La Liga is leading the charge for accountability—not Madrid. He pushed back against anyone trying to link today’s refereeing to that scandal.

“The Negreira case is serious, and it’s being prosecuted. Not by Real Madrid, but by the prosecutor.

“They haven’t proven anyone bought referees, but it’s clear money went to the vice president of the referees. That’s bad enough. The case has to go on, and Barcelona has every right to defend itself,” he said.

Finally, Tebas talked about the fallout between Perez and Barcelona’s Joan Laporta. He brushed it off, saying he didn’t care if they were not on speaking terms. For him, it’s all about power games in Spanish football.

“I don’t lose sleep over Florentino and Laporta breaking off relations. If it’s because of the Super League, that’s fine by me,” Tebas said.

Then he pointed out what he sees as obvious pressure tactics. “Funny how, right after Barcelona left the Super League, Madrid hit them with a legal attack. Before that, relations were fine. What’s that called? That’s coercion. As long as you’re with me, I keep quiet; if you’re not, I go after you.

“That’s a classic move. Those clubs are trying to tear down La Liga and its president,” he said, wrapping things up.