Oliver Kahn advises Jürgen Klopp to avoid the Real Madrid managerial position, citing a mismatch between Klopp's development-focused philosophy and Madrid's star-driven environment.
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Real Madrid continue to be linked with several high-profile managerial candidates, but not everyone is convinced that Jurgen Klopp would be the right fit for the job. Former Bayern Munich and Germany goalkeeper and Germany legend Oliver Kahn has raised serious doubts about the idea of Klopp taking over at Real Madrid.
With speculation growing around a potential change in the dugout, Kahn believes the German coach’s philosophy may not be in line with the current structure at the club. Sharing his thoughts on the situation, Kahn said, “I don’t know if I’d do that if I were Jurgen Klopp.
Kahn believes Klopp's coaching style, which emphasizes development and a defined system, does not align with Real Madrid's culture of managing individual superstars.
If Klopp takes the job, he may face challenges in gaining respect and managing high-profile players, similar to Xabi Alonso's experience, which could lead to a difficult tenure.
Kahn noted that Klopp likes to build and develop teams, which contrasts with Real Madrid's approach that relies heavily on individual talent rather than a cohesive system.
Alonso's attempt to implement a new philosophy at Real Madrid failed, leading to his dismissal, which Kahn references as a cautionary tale for Klopp.
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“Do Real Madrid and Jurgen Klopp fit together? If we analyze it more deeply, Jurgen is one of those who likes to develop, to build.” Expanding on this, he added, “What’s more, he works with a defined system. Real Madrid is something completely different. Real Madrid is a collection of individuals, a group of superstars who categorically refuse to have any concept imposed on them.”
Touching on this aspect, he concluded, “We saw it with Xabi Alonso. It’s about whether, as a manager, you have the respect, can connect with the players, can manage the big stars and can convince them of the system you intend to implement,” he concluded. Yikes. In some respects, Kahn is not wrong — Xabi Alonso went in to try and instill a new philosophy on the pitch and a mindset off of the field. It did not work, as multiple Real Madrid players became hindrances to the progress Alonso was attempting to make. Ultimately, it got Alonso fired just months into his contract and the team was worse off for it. Does Klopp want that kind of headache at this stage of his career or is the talent level just too enticing for him to pass up? Well, at least we know where Kahn stands on things. *If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…*
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