In the just-concluded Champions League match of this round, Real Madrid lost 1-2 to Manchester City at home after being reversed. According to relevant reports, despite frequent rumors of Real Madrid changing coaches making a stir recently, Zinedine Zidane, Jürgen Klopp, and José Mourinho are not actual candidates the club will truly consider.
Rumors about Real Madrid changing coaches are nothing new. As early as last season when Carlo Ancelotti led Real Madrid, these three names were involved in discussions about a coaching change due to the team's unsatisfactory performance. Zidane was mentioned because of his brilliant achievements during his previous tenure at Real Madrid; Klopp entered the discussion based on the outstanding reputation he earned while coaching Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool; and Portuguese coach Mourinho left a profound impression on some people during his time at the Bernabéu, leading to various discussions about his so-called "eternal connection" with Real Madrid.
This time, just like last season, the names of Zidane, Klopp, and Mourinho have appeared in reports from different media, claiming that Real Madrid's senior management intends to hire them to coach the team immediately. However, in reality, these three options are not practically feasible for different reasons.
Zidane has long been looking forward to the position of France national team coach being fully open to him, and now this long-awaited moment has finally arrived. The famous figure who has played and coached at Real Madrid will officially succeed Didier Deschamps as the next coach of the France national team after the World Cup held in the United States.
The relationship between Zidane and Real Madrid has been repaired after he stepped down as head coach of Real Madrid's first team at the end of the 2020-2021 season and went through a period of estrangement. Karim Benzema winning the Ballon d'Or in 2022 became an important opportunity for Zidane and Real Madrid's senior management to reconcile. Since then, the relationship between the two sides has gradually returned to normal, but the former Ballon d'Or winner has not been deeply involved in the daily management of Real Madrid. It is worth noting that none of Zidane's children are currently in Real Madrid's youth academy system. Real Madrid has no plans to bring Zidane back to coach the team.
Klopp's situation is relatively straightforward. Since taking up the position of sports director at the Red Bull Group, he has been living in Mallorca, away from the team's daily affairs. According to Klopp himself, he has no intention of returning to the coaching bench and changing his current rhythm of life. He is now living a very comfortable life with a considerable income, so Real Madrid has naturally not included him in the list of potential coaching candidates.
Among the three, Mourinho may have the best relationship with Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez and some senior management, but it should be made clear that this good relationship is only limited to personal friendship and does not involve professional cooperation. Mourinho himself clearly ruled out the possibility of returning to coach Real Madrid yesterday, and Real Madrid has also not considered this option.
As for the current situation, the only certainty is that Xabi Alonso is Real Madrid's current head coach. Barring some extremely special circumstances, Real Madrid's plan is to let Xabi Alonso continue coaching the team and wait until January to test and evaluate the team.
