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Mehmet Ali Aydinlar, the leading candidate expected to contest Fenerbahce's upcoming presidential election, is said to have held a preliminary meeting with Jurgen Klopp, the former Liverpool manager now serving as Red Bull's global head of soccer, over a potential return to club coaching, Turkish media reported Friday.
The reported approach, described by multiple Turkish outlets as the most significant managerial pursuit in the Istanbul club's history, comes as Fenerbahce braces for an extraordinary general assembly election scheduled for June 6-7, following the resignation announcement of incumbent president Sadettin Saran.
Saran, who succeeded Ali Koc as Fenerbahce's 38th president in September 2025, announced he would not stand for re-election after a bruising end to the season. The club was eliminated from the UEFA Europa League in the round of 16 play-off stage by Nottingham Forest, knocked out of the Turkish Cup by Konyaspor, and fell seven points behind Galatasaray in the Supe Lig with three matchdays remaining. The final blow came with a 3-0 league defeat to Galatasaray, after which Italian coach Domenico Tedesco was also dismissed.
With former presidents Ali Koc and Aziz Yildirim both expected to sit out the contest, the field has taken shape around three declared or prospective candidates: Hakan Safi, a businessman who served on the board during the Koc era; Baris Gokturk, chairman of Gokturk Holding, who was the first to formally announce his candidacy; and Aydinlar, who has not yet made an official declaration but is widely regarded within the club's community as a near-certain entrant.
Aydinlar, 69, is the founder and chairman of Acibadem Health Group, one of Türkiye's largest private hospital networks, and previously served as president of the Turkish Football Federation from 2011. He also stood against Aziz Yildirim in Fenerbahce's 2013 presidential election, receiving 2,383 votes to Yildirim's 6,821. According to reports from Turkish media, Aydinlar has begun assembling a presidential platform centered on transforming Fenerbahce into a contender at the European level, with ambitions backed by a substantial budget and a high-profile technical staff.
As part of that platform, Aydinlar and his team are said to have already held a preliminary meeting with Klopp, in which they outlined Fenerbahce's targets for the new era and the broad authority they would offer the German coach. A second managerial name on Aydinlar's shortlist is reported to be Enzo Maresca, who departed Chelsea at the end of the current season.
Whether Klopp has any genuine interest in the proposal is unclear. Since stepping down from Liverpool in the summer of 2024, citing personal exhaustion after nearly a decade at Anfield, Klopp took up the position of global head of soccer at Red Bull on a four-year deal beginning January 2025. His remit covers the Red Bull football network, which includes RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, and New York Red Bulls, among others.
Reports in March suggested internal friction at Red Bull, with the organization said to be uncertain about Klopp's fit in an executive role. At the same time, German football circles have long viewed Klopp as the natural long-term successor to Julian Nagelsmann as Germany national team coach, with a potential opening arising after the 2026 World Cup. Klopp denied speculation linking him to a managerial vacancy at Real Madrid in March and reaffirmed his commitment to Red Bull, though he acknowledged being open in principle to a return to management.
Turkish media noted that Klopp's camp has not yet given a definitive response to the Fenerbahce proposal and that his summer plans are expected to become clearer in the coming months.
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