Jurgen Klopp will not be taking charge of Real Madrid, despite the club’s presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme vowing to pursue him if elected.
Riquelme is vying for the position against incumbent president Florentino Perez, 79, with both making grand promises and the former even angering Man City by claiming he’d sign Erling Haaland.
Now Riquelme, 37, has talked up his chances of putting Klopp in the dugout but the German’s agent Marc Kosike shut it down.
‘It’s annoying,’ he said on Sky Germany. ‘Jurgen Klopp is happy in his role at Red Bull and has no ambitions to work as a coach at a club.’
Klopp stepped down as Liverpool manager in 2024 after a hugely successful tenure at Anfield but has repeatedly spoken about having no desire to return to management.
In spite of this, Riquelme said on Friday: ‘We know that Jürgen Klopp has publicly stated he has no intention of returning to the dugout in the short term, and that he has turned down numerous offers.
Jurgen Klopp’s agent has shut down the talk of him taking over at Real Madrid
‘That is precisely why we believe the challenge of Real Madrid is different. Because there are great clubs, but there is only one Real Madrid.
‘There is only one institution capable of uniting tradition and future, values and ambition, passion and excellence.
‘For that reason, if the members grant me their trust this Sunday, on Monday Raúl will contact Jürgen Klopp to convey to him personally our sporting project and our wish for him to be the one to lead, from the bench, a new era for Real Madrid.
‘We are speaking of one of the finest coaches of our time. But, above all, we are speaking of a leader capable of restoring to Real Madrid the competitive intensity, the daily demands, the professionalism, the meritocracy, the dressing-room unity and the pride in a job well done that have always characterised the great eras of our history.’
Riquelme is going up against Perez, who has been Real Madrid president twice – from 2000 to 2006 and then 2009 until present.
Real’s members pay £130-a-year and there are 10,000 of them. They will cast their votes on Sunday.
Perez himself confirmed that Jose Mourinho will be the new manager if he’s re-elected.
He has also said there will be a huge new Galactico signing worth £129million and Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise is reported to be the primary target.
Enrique Riquelme (pictured) has pledged to sign Erling Haaland if he wins Real Madrid’s presidential election
Ibrahima Konate and Denzel Dumfries have also been lined up as new additions and then members will have to make their decision on the direction they want the club to go in.
Riquelme’s more outlandish pledges could work against him if members deem his prospective moves impossible.
Earlier this week Manchester City threatened legal action after he claimed he would sign Haaland. Riquelme boldly held up a Madrid shirt with Haaland’s name on the back during a campaign appearance on television.
‘The stories which have emerged from Spain regarding the future of Erling Haaland are untrue,’ a Man City spokesperson said.
‘There is no chance of this happening and there is no contractual clause to enable it. We are considering legal action for the use of our player image in this context.’
Riquelme also promised to sign Haaland’s City team-mate, Rodri.
Jose Mourinho (right) will be the new Real Madrid manager if Florentino Perez (left) is re-elected
But Perez is heavy favourite to retain his position, with Mourinho ready to take charge for the second time at the Bernabeu.
Mourinho’s new contract is believed to run until the summer of 2028, and will include an option to extend by a further year.
The 63-year-old, who hasn’t won a league title in 11 years, will step into a crisis club after a season clouded by in-fighting between players, an early Champions League exit, and Barcelona steaming to the LaLiga title.
