Al-Ittihad have identified Jurgen Klopp as their preferred candidate to become the club's next manager after the departure of Sergio Conceicao, but any quick move now looks blocked. Klopp's representative, Marc Kosicke, said there is no possibility of the 58-year-old taking charge of the Saudi Pro League side this year.
That is why Klopp's name has surfaced again. The former Liverpool manager stepped away from coaching in 2024 after a nine-year spell at Anfield, then took on a role with Red Bull, and his reputation continues to make him a target whenever a major vacancy opens up. Al-Ittihad are understood to view him as their ideal appointment, which would bring one of the most decorated coaches of the modern era into Saudi football.
Klopp's time at Liverpool is the reason his availability still carries weight. He won every major honour on offer there, including the Premier League and Champions League, before leaving the touchline in 2024. That record has kept him in the conversation for elite jobs even as he has repeatedly played down speculation around high-profile openings. Asked about rumours linking him with other clubs, Klopp dismissed the noise and said that if Real Madrid had phoned, people would have heard about it by now, adding that his agent had not been contacted either.
His latest comments also leave the door open, just slightly, without offering any immediate plan. Klopp said he was not completely finished as a coach and had not reached retirement age, but added that nothing was planned. He said he was not thinking about a return right now, which fits the message coming from his camp: not this year, and not for Al-Ittihad. The Saudi club can admire Klopp all it wants, but for the moment the search for Sergio Conceicao's replacement has run into a firm wall.
The unanswered question is whether Al-Ittihad stay patient or turn elsewhere. If Klopp remains unavailable, the club will have to decide quickly whether to keep him as a long-term idea or move on to a manager they can actually appoint now.
