Real Madrid president Florentino Perez announced to the media that Jose Mourinho, as had been rumored for weeks, will be the next manager of the club, making the move official. But while Florentino may believe he has the presidency sealed over Enrique Riquelme, the challenger has done everything possible to counter the Presi, including waving around a jersey and a signed contract of Erling Haaland at Real Madrid.
That desperate play, which may actually be true, might not be enough to win the election for Riquelme, but it is enough to remind Madridistas that Mourinho and Perez cannot forge ahead just yet until the incumbent president officially wins the election.
Riquelme and Perez have been battling back and forth with their planned signings, but what Real Madrid fans want to know next from Riquelme is who, exactly, the Cox Energy founder has in mind as his manager of the project to counter the legendary Jose Mourinho.
Jurgen Klopp might be Enrique Riquelme's pick
Well, according to Fabrizio Romano on his YouTube channel, sources believe that when Enrique Riquelme was talking about his own great manager to counter Mourinho, he was referencing former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
While Klopp and others have downplayed the links - and even Riquelme seemed to be doing that, too - most fans would agree with the reporting of Romano that Klopp sounds like the manager he subtly references when he talks about his plans.
Mikel Arteta, having just won the Premier League, is another name that comes up, but while he is a great Spanish coach, his style of play is not at all what many Real Madrid fans want to see, even if the club's ethos is to win at all costs.
Klopp is totally different than the managers Real Madrid have had over the years with his Heavy Metal Football, but given what he was able to do with Mohamed Salah and other forwards, perhaps he could actually be the one to get Kylian Mbappe to press, given his unique way of relating to the players.
But Real Madrid fans will trust both Florentino Perez and Jose Mourinho more. Real Madrid have always had Jurgen Klopp's number in the Champions League, and they have seen how Mourinho can play with a fire. Meanwhile, Riquelme is a total unknown as a president, whlie Perez is perhaps the greatest president in modern world football history. Still, Klopp would actually be a good counter to Mourinho from Riquelme, that is, if he can prove he has a man who recently decided to take a break from coaching on board.
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