Jurgen Klopp has responded to speculation suggesting that he could be a contender to succeed Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid. The Blancos have made another change in their dugout early in 2026. Klopp is “genuinely surprised” that the Liga giants wielded the axe at this stage, with the former Liverpool boss seeking to distance himself from a now vacant post.Alonso was relieved of his duties at Santiago Bernabeu after just eight months at the helm. He took in 34 games as Blancos boss, winning 24 of those. His final match in charge was a Spanish Super Cup final defeat to Clasico rivals Barcelona.The World Cup winner was said to have clashed with superstar performers in Madrid - such as Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe - which ultimately made his position untenable. First-team reins have been handed to Alvaro Arbeloa on an interim basis.Speculation is already rife regarding who Real will turn to next. Unsurprisingly, Klopp’s name has been added to that pot. He walked away from management when severing ties with Premier League giants Liverpool in 2024 and is now Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull.The 58-year-old has offered no indication that he is looking for a return to the dugout, particularly in a hot-seat that is as warm as the one on Madrid’s bench. He shrugged off links to the Blancos when reacting to the news of Alonso’s sudden departure.Working as a pundit on Servus TV On shortly after that bombshell broke, Klopp said when asked if his phone had been ringing: “It actually has - though not from Madrid. But yes, there were definitely a few people who felt they had to contact me directly about it.“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.”Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!Klopp told the Diary of CEO podcast back in October 2025 when pressed on his plans for the future and whether they include a return to coaching: “I said I will never coach a team in England again, that means if it's Liverpool, theoretically it's possible. I don't know exactly, I love what I do right now. I don't miss coaching, I do coach now but just different.“I don't miss standing in the rain, two-and-a-half [to] three hours, I don't miss going to press conferences three times a week, having 12 interviews a week, I don't miss that, I don't. I don't miss being in the dressing room, I coached something like 1,080 games so I was in a dressing room often. I don't want to die in a dressing room because it's not nice, it smells.“There might be something, I'm 58, I could make the decision in a few years... I don't know. Do I have to make the decision today that I will not coach again? Thank god I don't have to, I can just see what the future brings. Now I'm in a project I really love, I like doing what I'm doing right now. In my mind, only if I'm focused 100 per cent, I can do it really good."Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingKlopp has been linked with various jobs since leaving Liverpool, but has always been quick to shoot those rumours down. For now, former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca - who left Stamford Bridge on New Year’s Day - is favourite to take over at the Bernabeu, while French icon Zinedine Zidane is seeing a third spell at the helm mooted.