Jurgen Klopp: Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme says former Liverpool boss will be his first-choice head coach choice if elected
Real Madrid's presidential election is on Sunday; Enrique Riquelme has promised that Jurgen Klopp will be his first choice as head coach, having already promised to sign Erling Haaland and Rodri; Florentino Perez wants to bring in Jose Mourinho, Denzel Dumfries and Ibrahima Konate
Friday 5 June 2026 22:51, UK
Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme has released a statement confirming that Jurgen Klopp will be his choice for the manager's job at the Bernabeu if he is elected on Sunday.
Riquelme will go up against Florentino Perez in Sunday's presidential elections at Real Madrid - having already claimed he will try and sign Manchester City duo Erling Haaland and Rodri if he is elected.
Man City are considering legal action over Haaland's player image rights after that declaration.
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Another promise made by Riquelme is to install club legend Raul as sporting director. Real currently do not operate with a sporting director and Raul was Real Madrid's B team coach until last year.
But according to Riquelme, Raul's sole recommendation for the head coach role is former Liverpool boss Klopp.
A statement from Riquelme's office read: "We know that Jurgen Klopp has publicly stated that he has no intention of returning to the dugout in the short term, and that he has turned down numerous offers.
"That is precisely why we believe the challenge of Real Madrid is different. Because there are great clubs, but there is only one Real Madrid. There is only one institution capable of uniting tradition and future, values and ambition, passion and excellence.
"For that reason, if the members grant me their trust this Sunday, on Monday June 8, Raul Gonzalez Blanco [Real Madrid's sporting director] will contact Jurgen Klopp to convey to him personally our sporting project and our wish for him to be the one to lead, from the bench, our new era at Real Madrid."
What has Perez promised Real Madrid fans?
Meanwhile, Perez has already revealed that Jose Mourinho will be the new Real Madrid head coach should he be elected on Sunday.
Benfica have already announced that Mourinho will leave his post as head coach of the Lisbon club should Perez win the election.
Perez also announced the signings of defenders Denzel Dumfries and Ibrahima Konate. Both transfers are subject to Perez continuing as Real Madrid president.
The current Real president, who has held that position since 2000 and has overseen arguably the club's most successful period, also promised to make a €150m (£129.6m) offer for a top player in Europe.
Multiple reports claim that player is Bayern Munich's Michael Olise.
What has Riquelme promised?
Perez's rival Riquelme claimed on Spanish TV show El Hormiguero on Wednesday night that Haaland had a release clause and wants to move to the Bernabeu. He also held up a Real shirt with 'Haaland 9' on the back.
Riquelme, who also promised to sign Haaland's City team-mate Rodri, said: "If I break my promises regarding either of these players, I've signed a guarantee where I'd pay 100 per cent of membership costs for next season.
"Haaland has a release clause, and he wants to come to Madrid."
However, Manchester City have moved quickly to refute those claims, saying in a statement that there is "no chance" Haaland will be leaving the Etihad Stadium any time soon. The Premier League club also said they are considering legal action over the shirt stunt.
A City spokesperson said in a statement: "The stories which have emerged from Spain regarding the future of Erling Haaland are untrue.
"There is no chance of this happening and there is no contractual clause to enable it. We are considering legal action for the use of our player image in this context."
Haaland is under contract at the Etihad until the summer of 2034 and the player's agent Rafaela Pimenta and his father Alfie Haaland laughed off suggestions the 25-year-old could soon be heading to the Spanish capital.
A joint-statement released in the early hours of Thursday morning said: "All very entertaining but not true. We wish all the best for both candidates in the Real Madrid elections."
Riquelme also said he would sign City midfielder Rodri, whose current contract runs until 2027.
The 29-year-old Spain international has previously been linked with Real but City still consider him to be part of their plans. Rodri said earlier this week he did not want to discuss his future until after the World Cup.
What is Klopp doing now?
Former Liverpool manager Klopp has not returned to club management since leaving Anfield in the summer of 2024.
The German is currently working as the Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull's sporting group - a position he has held since January 2025.
On two occasions since leaving Liverpool, Klopp said he was "done" as a coach - the latest of those statements coming in September of last year.
However, when Klopp was linked to the Real Madrid job at the beginning of this year, he rubbished those reports - but admitted he was open to returning to club management.
"If Real Madrid had phoned, we would have heard about it by now," he said in March.
"But that's all nonsense. They haven't called even once, not once. My agent is there, you can ask him. They haven't called him either.
"Right now I'm not thinking about that, luckily there's no reason to. For my age, I'm quite advanced in life, but as a coach I'm not completely finished. I haven't reached retirement age.
"Who knows what will happen in the coming years. But there's nothing planned."
