Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was left livid with questions linking him to Real Madrid during a press conference in Germany.
On Monday, the 58-year-old was announced as a World Cup pundit for Magenta TV this summer alongside Thomas Muller and Mats Hummels, and the trio took part in a press conference after the announcement.
There, Klopp, who was in charge of Liverpool between 2015 and 2024, was asked about his future, and took a question about managing Germany’s national team lightly when he replied: ‘Straight to the point. I’m not thinking about that at all at the moment. Who knows what the next few years will bring. But there are absolutely no plans in that regard.’
Then, though, the mood turned.
Klopp has been working as the Global Head of Soccer at Red Bull since early 2025, working with clubs such as RB Leipzig, RB Salzburg and New York Red Bulls to advise on footballing matters.
He has suggested he will never manage again, but was questioned on potentially taking over from Alvaro Arbeloa on Monday, and snapped back.
Jurgen Klopp was left fuming as questions over whether he will soon take over at Real Madrid
The former Liverpool manager has not coached since leaving the club in 2024 and is currently working for Red Bull
‘It’s good that we’re talking about this,’ he said. ‘When is a story a story? When someone takes a sheet of paper and writes something on it? Or when there’s actually something to it?
‘What does the situation have to be? That Real Madrid called me at some point and said: ‘Florentino Perez on the phone! Jurgen, how are things?’ Or is it enough if OE24 (an Austrian media outlet) – no idea whether that’s AI or written by people – writes some rubbish? That annoys me.
‘You need to show a bit of discipline there. It’s all just nonsense.’
He added that Madrid have ‘not called him once, not a single time’ in his life, and sarcastically said: ‘I’ll take over at Atletico Madrid as well, preferably at the same time. Sorry Madrid, you’ll have to ring first.’
The German was also asked if he would be leaving his role with Red Bull soon, which has gained criticism due to the fact the company runs a multi-club model.
That, according to Klopp himself, is also nonsense.
‘The same idiots wrote that – the Salzburger Nachrichten (an Austrian news outlet),’ a fuming Klopp said. ‘The reporter from the Salzburger Nachrichten hasn’t got a clue. And everyone’s jumping on the bandwagon there too.’
Earlier this month, it was reported that Klopp’s presence at other events such as the Winter Olympics rather than more high-profile matches with Red Bull’s stable of clubs is ‘causing some (staff) to wonder’ if he will move on.
Klopp said Madrid have never contacted him and blasted media reports suggesting he could take over at the club
It is now an ‘open secret’ that the behind-the-scenes role does not fully suit him, according to Bild. It is not making the most of his interpersonal skills, which flourish when he is managing players.
And his agent, Marc Kosicke, admitted last month: ‘Jurgen feels very connected to this country. The question doesn’t even arise at the moment.
‘I don’t think he feels he has to do it (manage Germany) at least once. Rather, he feels a sense of obligation, that he couldn’t always say no to the job.’
