Florentino Perez rival confirms identify of Real Madrid manager target – “A coach who has marked an era” | OneFootball

With the Real Madrid presidential election coming up on Sunday, the two candidates in contention are playing their cards in a bid to convince the club’s members. Florentino Perez has promised to go big on a new signing, revealed to be Michael Olise, if he is re-elected, while Enrique Riquelme has vowed to bring Erling Haaland to the Bernabeu.

Riquelme, who is aiming to end Perez’s 17-year spell at the helm, has also teased his new manager over the last couple of weeks. Jose Mourinho would come in if the status quo remains, but it has now been confirmed that Jurgen Klopp would be the man sought if there is a chance of presidency this weekend, as per a statement covered by Diario AS.

“If Raúl is the one who directs the sports area, it is Raúl who is responsible for leading this decision. For the bench, from the moment he joined, Raúl has given us a single name. That of a coach who has marked an era in world football. A man who has won the Champions League, who returned Liverpool to the top of Europe and England after decades of waiting, who made Borussia Dortmund champions against economic giants and who has left something even more important than titles where he has been: identity, character, leadership and a winning culture based on collective effort.

“We are talking about one of the best coaches of our time. But, above all, we are talking about a leader capable of returning to Real Madrid the competitive intensity, the daily demand, the professionalism, the meritocracy, the unity of the dressing room and the taste for a job well done that always characterized the great stages of our history. That coach is Jürgen Klopp. We know that Jürgen Klopp has publicly stated that he has no intention of returning to the dugout in the short term and that he has rejected numerous offers. Precisely for this reason we believe that Real Madrid’s challenge is different. Because there are great clubs, but there is only one Real Madrid.”

Klopp won’t be easily convinced

Image via Dustin Satloff/Getty Images

Klopp has been linked with Real Madrid ever since Xabi Alonso’s exit in January, and on every occasion, it has come out that he has no plans to return to management. Riquelme, if he is indeed elected, would have a very tough job in getting his desired target, so it would be no surprise if there was a backup plan in place.