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Alonso's exit not a real surprise to Klopp
The Straits Times
|January 20, 2026
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid exit was a surprise but also predictable from the European giants known for cutthroat coaching decisions.
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The former Real midfielder lasted less than eight months in the Bernabeu dugout, leaving the club by “mutual agreement” a day after being outplayed in a 3-2 defeat by Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final on Jan 11.
“When I heard the news about Xabi Alonso, it was a bit of a mix. Yes, I was surprised. And no, I wasn’t surprised,” Klopp told AFP and other media in Leipzig.
Referencing Real sacking German coach Jupp Heynckes in 1998 eight days after winning the Champions League for failing to win La Liga, Klopp said, “It’s always like that from Madrid when they’re not first in the table.”
The 58-year-old, who has been working as Red Bull’s global head of football for a year, said Real did not seem to have a plan post-Alonso and may struggle to find the right replacement.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January 20, 2026-Ausgabe von The Straits Times.
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