Real Madrid consider hiring former Chelsea and Liverpool managers to replace Xabi Alonso
Real Madrid have placed former Chelsea and Liverpool managers on their shortlist to replace Xabi Alonso.
Alonso lasted less than eight months as Real Madrid manager before being dismissed on Monday afternoon, less than 24 hours after losing to rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup.
The 44-year-old leaves with Los Blancos second in the La Liga table, just four points behind their Clasico rivals.
The legendary Spain midfielder enjoyed a good start upon his return to Madrid but the team’s form dipped over the winter, winning seven of the last 14 games across all competitions.
Perhaps more pressingly, Alonso had a tense relationship with several key players, including Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, with the latter unwilling to commit his future to Real while Alonso was in the dugout.
Real youth team coach Alvaro Arbeloa had been placed in temporary charge of the side, with the Spanish giants beginning their search for a new full-time coach midway through the season.
According to French outlet Foot Mercato, Real have identified former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp as their ‘dream’ target to replace Alonso at the Bernabeu.
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Klopp has been without a management job since leaving Liverpool at the end of the 2023-24 season.
The former Borussia Dortmund boss won the Premier League and Champions League during his hugely celebrated Liverpool reign.
Klopp joined Red Bull as their Head of Global Soccer at the start of 2025 and has repeatedly indicated he is not looking for another manager job.
Asked about reports linking him with the now-vacant Real post, he told ServusTV On: ‘First of all, I think it’s another sign that something isn’t quite right there at the moment.
‘If Xabi Alonso, who over the last two years in Leverkusen has shown what an outstanding coaching talent he is – and I think at his age and with the number of jobs he’s had, you can say that — is then forced to leave Madrid just six months later, it shows a few things.
‘On the one hand, 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.
‘I was surprised, that’s true – genuinely surprised. Then a few people messaged me, and I replied with various emojis.’
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Should they prove unsuccessful in their pursuit of Klopp, additional reports suggest that Enzo Maresca is of interest after his departure from Chelsea.
The Italian tactician enjoyed a successful 18 months at Stamford Bridge, winning the Conference League and Club World Cup, while also securing the Blues a return to Champions League football.
Maresca left Chelsea on New Year’s Day, having fallen out with the club’s senior hierarchy and medical team and won just two of his previous nine games in all competitions.
Real are back in action on Wednesday as they travel to face Albacete in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey.
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Article source: https://metro.co.uk/2026/01/13/real-madrid-consider-hiring-former-chelsea-liverpool-managers-replace-xabi-alonso-26267629/