Real Madrid News
Doors shut on former Liverpool manager potentially replacing Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid
As soon as Xabi Alonso’s future at Real Madrid started looking bleak, the club were linked with a move for Jurgen Klopp.
Currently serving as the Global Head of Sports for the Red Bull group, including RB Leipzig, Klopp was sounded as a potential replacement for Alonso.
We had highlighted earlier that Klopp’s return to coaching is highly unlikely given the quantum of his position at Red Bull.
Now, Oliver Mintzlaff, the CEO of Red Bull, has effectively ruled out Klopp’s return by confirming that the coach is indeed not interested in returning to coaching.
Mintzlaff on Klopp’s future
Speaking at an event organised by Leipziger Volkszeitung, Mintzlaff, who also oversees operations of Red Bull’s Formula One team, Red Bull Racing, confirmed Klopp doesn’t want to return to coaching.
“He has made it clear that he doesn’t want to be a coach at the moment,” said Mintzlaff (h/t SPORT), whose role within the Red Bull organisation is only set to increase following the departure of Helmut Marko.
This, in turn, could trickle down to Jurgen Klopp, who is a frequent visitor to F1 races and oversees the entire footballing operations of the firm.
The report from Diario SPORT adds that Klopp is keen on his current role at Red Bull and does not think about returning to coaching.
This comes at a time when Xabi Alonso is walking on a tightrope, with the upcoming game against Alaves set to play a crucial role in deciding his future at Los Blancos.
Although the likes of Santiago Solari and Alvaro Arbeloa have emerged as short-term fixes, Real Madrid require a proven and experienced coach to replace Alonso.
With both Zinedine Zidane and Klopp no longer options, it will be interesting to see how Real Madrid go about their business when it comes to finding an ideal replacement for Alonso.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. admits finishing problem after another frustrating night vs Elche: ‘Can’t miss that much’
Vinicius Jr.’s difficult start in front of goal continued against Elche, and the Real Madrid forward did not need anyone to tell him he had missed another chance to make the difference.
The Brazilian finished the night without a goal despite having chances to get on the scoresheet, while his teammates could only watch from the bench as opportunities went begging.
Jose Mourinho had already identified the problem before kick-off, bluntly pointing to the issue facing his forward, stating, “He’s missing the goal.”
Vini offered an equally frank assessment afterwards.
Rather than hide from another frustrating evening, he accepted responsibility on social media: “The goals will come back; I can’t miss that much…”
Two chances, no finish for Vinicius
Vinicius had two particularly clear openings against Elche, but neither produced the finish Real Madrid needed from their star forward.
The first arrived when he found himself one-on-one with the opposition goalkeeper.
Instead of finding the net, Vinicius caught the ball with the tip of his foot and sent his effort wide. Arda Guler was available during the move and called for the ball, but Vini backed himself to finish the chance.
He had another opportunity after the interval, this time following an excellent pass from Guler during a quick Real Madrid transition. Again, though, Vinicius could not find the target.
His evening ended in the 68th minute, with Mourinho deciding the Brazilian was tired and turning his attention towards Sunday’s Atletico Madrid derby.
Mourinho has a bigger decision to make
The numbers show why Vinicius’ finishing has become a talking point. He managed five shots against Elche, but only one was on target and none found the net.
After seven appearances this season, the Brazilian has scored just once, which is a striking return for a player Real Madrid rely upon to provide a major share of their attacking threat.
Ultimately, though, Real Madrid found another route to victory, with Arda Guler, Kylian Mbappe and Carlos Espi providing the goals in the 3-2 comeback.
