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Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says speculation that he will return to management with Real Madrid this summer is “nonsense”.

The 58-year-old has been linked with a move to replace Alvaro Arbeloa at the end of the season.

Klopp left Anfield at the end of the 2023-24 season and has not coached since – taking up a role as head of global football with Red Bull.

He denied any talks with Real but says he might coach again.

The German told reporters at the Magenta TV World Cup team presentation in Munich: “If Real Madrid had phoned, we would have heard about it by now.

“But that’s all nonsense. They haven’t called even once, not once. My agent is there, you can ask him. They haven’t called him either.

“Right now I’m not thinking about that, luckily there’s no reason to.

“For my age I’m quite advanced in life, but as a coach I’m not completely finished. I haven’t reached retirement age.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka made swift work of her Miami Open match against Zheng Qinwen to cruise into the quarter finals.

The reigning champion took just an hour and 25 minutes to beat her Chinese opponent 6-3 6-4.

Sabalenka, 27, has won the US Open in each of the past two years and looks in serene form. She will face Hailey Baptiste in the last eight after the American defeated Latvian Jelena Ostapenko – also by a 6-3 6-4 margin.

Fourth seed Coco Gauff also reached the quarter-finals with a hard-fought 6-3 4-6 6-2 win over Sorana Cirstea of Romania.

The 22-year-old American served six double faults and was broken five times in a sketchy display, but she had enough to win through and set up a match against Amanda Anisimova or Belinda Bencic.

The Miami tournament is Gauff’s home event and she is eager to win the title but will not be stressing herself over doing so this year.

She came into the event on the back of a retirement at Indian Wells earlier in the month, when a nerve problem in her left arm caused her to abandon a third-round match.

“I don’t really feel pressure, I feel more supported at this event,” she said.

In the men’s draw, former world number one Daniil Medvedev – who beat Carlos Alcaraz at Indian Wells – was knocked out at the last-32 stage by Francisco Cerundolo.

The Argentine won 6-0 4-6 7-5 in a match during which umpire Mohamed Lahyani’s elevated chair briefly became entangled with the ‘spider cam’, the aerial camera that travels over the court during matches.

Lahyani got down from his chair as ball boys looked to prevent it toppling over.

After the unusual drama, Cerundolo said of his win: “I didn’t know what to expect, it was a great match, super tough.

Former Edinburgh head coach Mike Blair will continue his alliance with Dave Rennie after agreeing to join the New Zealand backroom staff being assembled by the new All Blacks boss.

Blair, a former Scotland captain, was Rennie’s assistant when Glasgow Warriors reached the Pro14 final in 2019 and Champions Cup quarter‑finals in 2017 and 2019. He went on to take the top job at Edinburgh from 2021 to 2023.

Since 2023, Blair has been working in Japan with Rennie at Kobelco Kobe Steelers as an attack coach and will join New Zealand in the same role.

Rennie has been appointed to lead the All Blacks after the dismissal of Scott Robertson.

Former Scotland skills and attack coach Blair said: “I’m proud and honoured to be joining the All Blacks coaching group.

In addition to former Scotland scrum-half and British and Irish Lion Blair, Rennie has appointed former New Zealand captain Tana Umaga as defence coach, while Jason Ryan will continue as forwards coach and Neil Barnes will be senior assistant coach.

Phil Healey, who has also worked with Rennie at Warriors and in Japan, is the new head of performance, while Tamati Ellison will be Maori All Blacks head coach.

Rennie said he has recruited a group who each have vast proven experience and are world-class in their specialist fields.

“This is a very experienced and highly skilled coaching team,” Rennie said. “Each of these men has a track record of getting the best out of the players.”

Blair and Healey will complete the current Japan Rugby League One season before moving to New Zealand.