Mbappe issues directive, directly pointing at Real Madrid's new captain

Kylian Mbappe is said to oppose Real Madrid's decision to name Jurgen Klopp as the new manager, favoring a familiar tactician who has experience at the Bernabeu.

According to Football365, Kylian Mbappe does not support Real Madrid appointing Jurgen Klopp as head coach. The French forward is reportedly "not convinced by this choice" and wants the club to bring back Zinedine Zidane, who previously led the club in two separate periods.

In reality, Real Madrid faces the need to find a new coach as they are predicted to have a trophy-less season. The Royal club sacked Xabi Alonso in January and appointed Alvaro Arbeloa, but this strategist is likely to depart in the summer.

In that context, Jurgen Klopp has become one of the names linked. Journalist Fabrizio Romano also confirmed that the German coach is on Real Madrid's watchlist, though no concrete progress has been made yet.

Romano stated that Real Madrid is still internally discussing the coaching position, and Klopp is a name frequently mentioned. However, no clear steps or specific negotiations have been initiated at this point.

He also emphasized that many members of the leadership appreciate Klopp, but the crucial first step is to determine whether he truly wants to return to daily coaching duties. This will be the deciding factor before the club proceeds further in this deal.

Currently, Klopp holds the role of Global Football Director for the Red Bull group since January 2025, after leaving Liverpool in summer 2024.

Zinedine Zidane began his coaching career at Real Madrid's youth team before being appointed to lead the first team in January 2016. He quickly made historic impact with three consecutive Champions League titles from 2016–2018. Zidane first left Real Madrid in May 2018, immediately after completing the European title hat-trick.

He returned in March 2019 and continued to help the club win the La Liga title in the 2019/20 season. In May 2021, Zidane left Real Madrid for the second time, concluding two highly successful terms as head coach.

Nevertheless, the likelihood of Zizou making a third appearance at the Bernabeu is low, as the coach born in 1972 is reportedly agreed to lead the French national team, right after the 2026 World Cup concludes.