Riquelme published a statement on Friday evening announcing that, if elected president on Sunday, his designated sporting director Raúl González Blanco would contact Klopp the following day to begin discussions.
The candidate stopped short of claiming Klopp was signed — a deliberate nuance after the Erling Haaland debacle — but the framing was still interpreted as a firm pledge.
The response from Klopp's camp came within hours, both to Süddeutsche Zeitung and via Sky Sport Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg.
"It's annoying. Jürgen Klopp is happy in his role at Red Bull and has no ambitions to work as a coach at a club."
Plettenberg confirmed separately that the Real Madrid chapter is "currently closed" for Klopp, adding that the agent had characterised the repeated speculation as unwanted interference in his client's professional situation.
Klopp left Liverpool in June 2024 after nine years, choosing not to continue in management and accepting the role of Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull — a position that involves oversight of the network's football clubs without direct coaching responsibility. Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff has previously described him as "extremely satisfied" in the role.
The episode follows the collapse of Riquelme's Haaland claim earlier this week, when Manchester City, the player's agent Rafaela Pimenta and his father Alfie Haaland all issued rapid public denials within hours of the television announcement.
Riquelme's campaign has made Raúl González Blanco as sporting director, Fernando Hierro as academy chief, Iker Casillas and Vicente del Bosque as advisers, and Rodri as a transfer target the centrepieces of a project that goes to Sunday's vote against incumbent Florentino Pérez — who remains the strong favourite to win a seventh presidential term.