Jurgen Klopp’s next step revealed after Madrid links

January 30, 2026 Oliver Obel

Jurgen Klopp is preparing for a brief return to the dugout later this month, though not in the high-profile managerial role that recent speculation might suggest.

The former Liverpool boss has been repeatedly linked with elite vacancies, including at Real Madrid, but his next appearance on the touchline will come in a far more symbolic setting.

Stepping away from management

Klopp has not managed a club since leaving Liverpool at the end of the 2023/24 season. At the time, he said he felt mentally drained after years of competing at the highest level of English football.

He departed Anfield having delivered the club’s first Premier League title in 30 years, along with a Champions League triumph. His successor, Arne Slot, later matched Klopp’s Premier League title tally after just one season in charge.

A new role in football

Rather than returning immediately to coaching, Klopp moved into an executive position at the start of 2025, becoming Red Bull’s Global Sports Director. The role sees him oversee football operations across the group’s network of clubs, including RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg and New York Red Bulls.

Despite that shift away from day-to-day management, Klopp has remained a regular subject of speculation, with European media continuing to link him to both club and international roles.

Madrid speculation grows

Rumours intensified in recent weeks after Real Madrid ended Xabi Alonso’s spell as head coach just seven months into his tenure. The development reignited debate over whether Klopp might be tempted back into frontline management.

However, those suggestions appear premature.

Anfield charity appearance confirmed

Klopp’s immediate return to the dugout will instead come at Anfield on March 28, when he serves as assistant manager for a Liverpool charity match against Borussia Dortmund.

He will work alongside Sir Kenny Dalglish, with former Liverpool stars Ian Rush and John Aldridge also involved. Klopp previously managed Dortmund from 2008 to 2015 before moving to Merseyside and has since been named an honorary ambassador for Liverpool’s official charity.

‘I’m at peace with where I am’

Klopp has consistently downplayed the idea that he is preparing for a full-time return to coaching.

Asked recently about the prospect of replacing Alonso, he said he remains content in his current role.

“I’m in a place, as a person, where I’m completely at peace with where I am,” Klopp said. “I don’t want to be somewhere else. I don’t get up and excited if Real Madrid are showing interest if they would be but it’s the media.

“Do I want to coach again? At the moment, I would say no. But I cannot say never, never, never. I don’t expect to change my mind, but I don’t know.”

Symbolic, not strategic

While Klopp’s Anfield return is ceremonial rather than competitive, it is likely to renew discussion about whether one of Europe’s most influential modern managers will eventually be drawn back into the technical area on a permanent basis.

Sources: Liverpool FC, media interviews, British press reports