Klopp Response from Riquelme to Mourinho: Romano Dropped the Bomb

Madrid's presidential election tension passed to a new stage on Thursday afternoon. The Italian transfer authority Fabrizio Romano announced in the latest update he broadcast on his YouTube channel that Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme has clarified his head coach preference towards Jürgen Klopp. Romano said: "Enrique Riquelme will soon announce the new manager he wants; sources tell me that should be Jürgen Klopp." On the Florentino Perez side, it was recalled that Mourinho was officially announced on Wednesday night with the campaign video bearing the slogan "MOUcha Historia por Hacer". The campaigns of the two candidates are now symbolised by a head coach name each.

Riquelme had been hinting at this move on social media for weeks. In his Wednesday night broadcast on the El Hormiguero programme, he used the expression "We will have a very big head coach against Mourinho" but did not give the name openly. Romano's news on YouTube clarified the candidate behind the scenes of that sentence — Klopp. Real Madrid-focused publications such as The Real Champs and DaveOCKOP published the news immediately; they conveyed that the Riquelme camp is preparing a concrete announcement before the Sunday vote. The intention of the Riquelme side is clear: To establish the balance with Klopp's global charisma and modern football philosophy against Mourinho's authority and Real Madrid past.

However, there is an important obstacle to the Klopp equation. The 58-year-old German coach took the position of Global Head of Football at Red Bull Group after leaving Liverpool in the summer of 2024. His agent Marc Kosicke said in the statement he made in recent months: "Klopp said 'I could have been a great coach without managing Bayern Munich or Real Madrid'." Romano also emphasised in his briefings in March 2026 and April 2026 that there was "neither an agreement nor advanced talks" between Klopp and Real Madrid. Romano's unchanging thesis is this: Klopp managing Real Madrid is only possible when Klopp himself wants to return to coaching.

Klopp's coaching history is extraordinary for a club the size of Real Madrid. In the 9 seasons he spent at Liverpool between 2015-2024, he won 7 major cups; he won the Champions League in 2018-19, the Premier League in 2019-20, and the FA Cup and EFL Cup in 2021-22. He brought Borussia Dortmund 2 Bundesliga championships between 2008-2015. Klopp's "Heavy Metal Football" philosophy is symbolised by high-tempo pressing, fast attack and emotional leadership; this profile would represent a radical change especially in the management of stars like Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham. Real Madrid's spending the 2025-26 season without a cup (Alvaro Arbeloa in interim duty after Xabi Alonso) had already made a fundamental head coach change inevitable.

Still, no confirmation has come from the Klopp side yet. Klopp's role at Red Bull is very free, financially extremely advantageous and family-friendly; his agent Kosicke had previously said that only one position such as "USA, England or Germany national team" could attract Klopp after Liverpool. It is known that Chelsea and Manchester United also asked questions to Klopp but the German coach maintains his clear rule of "I will not work at another club in England". Riquelme's Klopp move is therefore a two-layered gamble: he needs both to win the election and to convince Klopp to come to Madrid. On Sunday night, it will be clear who will laugh in Madrid; however, although the blows Riquelme received in the last 24 hours with the Haaland denial and City's legal threat shake his campaign, the Klopp move is trying to lift him back up.

The Florentino Perez side, as always, is silent but takes concrete steps. Mourinho's 3-year contract was already confirmed in news sourced from The Athletic; 28 million Euros transfer fee was paid to Benfica. Additionally, the transfers of Denzel Dumfries from Inter (20M€ release clause) and Ibrahima Konaté from Liverpool (free transfer) stand out as Florentino's concrete moves before the election. The Riquelme side's promises including Klopp have not yet been completed with a contract signature — there will be no official move unless Sunday is won. The vote to be held at the basketball hall in Real Madrid City between 09:00-20:00 on Sunday June 7 will determine the result of a competitive and dramatic election not seen for 20 years.

Source: Fabrizio Romano 

Image: stern.de