Who will be the next Real Madrid manager? That is a question that reverberates in the mind of almost every serious football fan worldwide, irrespective of the club they support.
As the biggest and most successful club in the world sacked Xabi Alonso after only 34 matches in charge and appointed Alvaro Arbeloa as an interim manager, the question remains as to who will be the next Real Madrid manager.
Real lost to lowly Albacete 2-3 in the round of 16 of Copa del Rey in Arbeloa’s first match in charge last Wednesday, January 14.
Arbeloa has reportedly been offered a contract that stretches his tenure as a manager beyond the current season. However, as of now, one can assume that it is an interim role only. It is more or less safe to conclude that Real will start looking for a new permanent manager at the end of the season.
Managing the biggest club in the world is not an easy task at all, at least as far as the man-management and handling the players’ egos are concerned. No one can probably vouch for it more surely than Alonso himself. In this article, we will take a look at three managers who are the frontrunners to be the next Real Madrid manager on a permanent basis:
Candidates To Become the Next Real Madrid Manager
#1. Jurgen Klopp
57-year-old German Jurgen Klopp stepped down from the Liverpool job citing the workload as one of the reasons, which was telling upon his health. If that remains his concern even now, then the Real Madrid job is probably not for him, as the Real manager always undergoes heavy scrutiny by the media and supporters.
However, Klopp’s ability to revitalise clubs, as he famously did with Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool with his high-energy football, makes him a suitable candidate for the Real job.
He has won a UEFA Champions League title with Liverpool and reached four UCL finals as a manager. He has also won the Premier League and Bundesliga titles as a gaffer, which proves his credentials undoubtedly. If his health is not a problem, there is probably no better man to be the next Real Madrid manager.
#2. Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane has been on the hot seat before, winning three Champions Leagues and two La Liga titles as Real Madrid manager. Not to mention that he won both of those titles as a Real Madrid player as well. This puts him in a good position to become the next Real Madrid manager.
Zidane, 53, is one of the legends of the game, but is reportedly eyeing the job of the French national team, with there being a strong possibility of Didier Deschamps stepping down after this year’s World Cup in the summer. If that is not the case and if Zidane considers returning to management, he could definitely think of taking up the job at the biggest club in world football.
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#3. Antonio Conte
Conte might seem to be an unlikely choice as the next Real Madrid manager, as he has not managed any club in Spain so far. However, he stepped out of Italy once and won a Premier League title with Chelsea in his debut season as a manager in England in 2017.
The 56-year-old Conte is known to enjoy dictating terms as a manager, often micromanaging things. That might not go down well with Florentino Perez, the imposing president of Real Madrid.
However, if the club’s management decides to do things purely in the interest of the club, only Conte will have to be considered. The Italian has won six domestic league titles with four different clubs in Italy and England and is simply one of the best managers in world football.
He is currently the manager of Napoli, but might find the temptation too tough to resist if Real Madrid come calling.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Marca
Recording Date: 17.02.2018
