Alvaro Arbeloa’s start at Real Madrid has been far from convincing, and with an eye already on the summer, the club continues to explore the market in search of an attractive medium-term solution. In this context, Jürgen Klopp remains one of the names circled in red on the agenda of Real Madrid’s sporting directors.
The crisis at the Bernabéu appears to be deepening by the day. Following the early dismissal of Xabi Alonso after the Super Cup defeat to Barcelona, Arbeloa has so far failed to change the course of events. Matters worsened further with a shock elimination from the Copa del Rey against Albacete in the round of 16 — a match heavily influenced by Arbeloa’s squad selection decisions.
In his debut on the Real Madrid bench, the former Liverpool and Spain defender chose not to include Kylian Mbappé, Aurélien Tchouaméni, or Jude Bellingham in the traveling squad. Their absence was clearly felt on the pitch, as Madrid delivered a very poor performance, rarely troubling the home goalkeeper despite needing goals at key moments.
What has caused the greatest concern, however, is the lack of reaction after conceding to Albacete. None of the players who took the field managed to escape criticism. It is becoming increasingly clear that the problems at Chamartín go beyond the name of the coach, and that a deep squad restructuring will be required in the summer to build a new competitive project.
In this scenario, it is difficult to imagine Arbeloa remaining in charge for the 2026–27 season.
Meanwhile, within the upper offices of the Santiago Bernabéu, the dream of appointing Jürgen Klopp is still very much alive. The German coach is currently comfortable in his role as Global Head of Football at Red Bull, but according to Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, Real Madrid would be one of only two jobs capable of convincing him to leave that position.
Klopp’s Key Condition
The main condition for a potential move to Madrid is simple but decisive: the Germany national team must not call him. Having won everything at club level, Klopp now views success with the German national side as a major personal priority. Germany, currently in a challenging phase, have only reached the Euro 2024 semifinals in recent major tournaments.
If the national team opportunity does not materialize, Real Madrid could become Klopp’s next — and perhaps final — elite challenge.
Klopp rose to international prominence after breaking Bayern Munich’s dominance by winning two Bundesliga titles with Borussia Dortmund. He also led Dortmund to a Champions League final, before achieving legendary status at Liverpool, where he won both the Premier League and the Champions League, cementing his place as one of the most successful managers of the modern era.
Whether that story will continue in white at the Bernabéu now depends on one crucial factor — Germany’s next move.
