Real Madrid News
Florentino Perez’s potential rival for Real Madrid presidency holds talks with Jurgen Klopp – report
The political storm surrounding Real Madrid continues to intensify, and now one of the biggest names in world football has entered the conversation.
According to fresh reports from El Confidential, presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme is already working on an ambitious sporting project that includes bringing Jurgen Klopp to the Santiago Bernabeu.
The businessman is believed to view Klopp as the ideal figure to lead a new era at Real Madrid following a disappointing campaign in which the club struggled to compete consistently against Barcelona and their energetic young squad.
Reports suggest Riquelme has already held direct meetings with people close to Klopp in recent months as he explored the possibility of convincing the German coach to become the face of a potential new Madrid project.
Different ideology than Perez
Within Riquelme’s camp, Klopp is seen as the perfect profile to reconnect the squad with supporters and rebuild the team after a difficult season.
His leadership style, charisma and attacking football are all viewed as qualities capable of changing the atmosphere around the club.
The move would also represent a completely different direction compared to the project associated with Florentino Perez.
While Perez continues to be linked with Jose Mourinho as a possible solution for the bench, Riquelme prefers a more modern and long-term approach centred around Klopp.
Riquelme is convinced
Within his circle, the German coach is considered the complete opposite profile to Mourinho, a manager capable of rebuilding morale while also developing a fresh football identity.
For now, though, Klopp has not given any response to the interest, and one of the reasons is that Riquelme’s candidacy had not officially existed until Real Madrid unexpectedly announced presidential elections earlier this week.
That sudden decision from Perez appears to have accelerated everything.
Real Madrid have officially opened the electoral process for the presidency, with applications allowed between May 14 and May 23, 2026.
The surprise timing of the elections has forced Riquelme to rapidly reorganise his plans.
The businessman is now understood to be working to gather enough support for a serious candidacy capable of challenging Perez’s long-standing control over the club.
After three successive wins to start the season, a 1-0 loss to Real Betis came as a reality check for Real Madrid, who are still some way off matching the quality and consistency of Barcelona.
In light of the defeat, the Real Madrid coaching staff is analysing the best way to get the most out of the current setup.
More expected from Valverde
According to Defensa Central, one of the key conclusions drawn from the Betis defeat is that Real Madrid need greater involvement from Federico Valverde with the ball.
The Uruguayan has been deployed as the pivot, largely due to the absence of the injured Aurelien Tchouameni, but he is yet to make the step up in quality the team requires from that role.
While his effort and commitment are never in doubt, Mourinho and his staff, led by Sami Khedira, feel Valverde spends too much time positioned behind the opposition’s midfield line.
As a result, he fails to offer passing lanes to his teammates when they are under pressure, forcing them into hurried, aimless clearances rather than playing out cleanly from the back.
That concern has already been communicated to Valverde, who is still adapting to a position he has never truly played, making the challenge all the more difficult for him.
A collective issue to fix
However, the problem is not Valverde’s alone, with the coaching staff identifying a wider issue in the team’s structure.
Khedira has reportedly noted a certain passivity from the attackers in the videos of the match, particularly Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, when it comes to offering themselves as the ball transitions from midfield into attacking areas.
That lack of movement compounds the difficulties for the deeper midfielders.
Mourinho, for his part, remains unfazed by the departure of Rodri to Barcelona, insisting his squad has the tools to cope.
“I’m not missing Rodri. We have solutions, we have quality,” the Portuguese said, before adding that he backs his ability to improve players.
With a Champions League opener against Inter Milan on the horizon, Mourinho and his staff will be keen to iron out these issues quickly.
