Xabi Alonso’s Dismissal from Real Madrid

Xabi Alonso’s termination from his position as head coach at Real Madrid stunned the football community on Monday, following just eight months in charge.

Interim Leadership

The club has appointed Alvaro Arbeloa to take over temporarily as they embark on the search for a permanent head coach in the coming weeks.

Potential Candidates

Jürgen Klopp, who has been a long-time target for the Spanish giants, is reportedly among the top contenders for the role. After departing Liverpool in 2024, Klopp took on a position as Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull, where he has indicated that he is not enthusiastic about returning to coaching.

When asked about the recent developments concerning Alonso, Klopp mentioned that he has received numerous messages regarding the situation.

Klopp’s Response

“It actually has – though not from Madrid. But yes, there were definitely a few people who felt they had to contact me directly about it.”

He elaborated on the rapidity of the decision-making at Real Madrid:

“It shows that nowadays there’s no time anymore. On the other, the expectations at Real Madrid are obviously enormous. To make a decision like that in the heat of the moment, after losing a cup final to Barcelona yesterday, says a lot. I think we’d already been hearing rumours for a while. And now – I don’t know if that’s where your question was going – but this has absolutely nothing to do with me, and it didn’t trigger anything for me either, which would probably have been the follow-up question.”

Klopp admitted that he was genuinely taken aback by the news:

“I was surprised, that’s true – genuinely surprised. Then a few people messaged me, and I replied with various emojis.”

Future Developments

The announcement regarding the next manager of Real Madrid is expected to come in the upcoming days as the club’s board evaluates all possible options, including Klopp, in an effort to salvage their season.