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Manager Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of rivals Barcelona in the El Classico over the weekend. The 4-0 home defeat will come as a major disappointment to the Spanish giants, considering the nature of the game and how Barcelona dominated Ancelotti's team from start to finish.
While Real Madrid can present their star player Karim Benzema's absence as one of the major factors for their loss to Xavi Hernandez's team, the truth remains that Ancelotti cannot escape his share of the blame.
The Italian tactician got his approach wrong on the night, which gave room for Barcelona to inflict such damage on his team. Should such a disappointing performance repeat itself again this season, Ancelotti's job could come under serious threat at Real Madrid.
So, if Carlo Ancelotti goes, who is likely to replace him? Let's look at four top managers who could do a good job at the Santiago Bernabeu, should a change in leadership take place.
#1 Xabi Alonso
Real Madrid could decide to follow the same route as rivals Barcelona by appointing one of their former star players, Xabi Alonso.
The legendary Spanish midfielder spent five good seasons at Real Madrid, where he made 154 appearances in La Liga between 2009 and 2014.
Alonso, who is currently the manager of Real Sociedad's B team in Secunda Division B, began his coaching career with Real Madrid's U14 team in 2018. Should he get the job, he could join the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Julen Lopetegui as persons who both played and coached Los Blancos.
#2 Erik ten Hag
The 52-year-old Dutchman is widely regarded as one of the best young tactitians in Europe presently. This is due to his exploits with the Ajax team. Ten Hag has been able to transform a relatively average Ajax side into one of the best, and most exciting, teams to watch in Europe.
He won the league double, which included the Eredivise title and the KNVB cup, twice - in the 2018-19 and the 2020-21 season.
Ten Hag also guided Ajax to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in 2019. His team had defeated Real Madrid 4-1 in Spain during that campaign, with Hakim Ziyech scoring a hat-trick.
He is also considered an aggressive manager who is suited to the style of play and the caliber of players at Real Madrid, if given the chance.
His Ajax team have been rutheless in front of the goal this season. They have scored 80 goals so far in the league after just 27 games.
#3 Antonio Conte
The Italian tactician is a serial winner and will no doubt do a great job at Real Madrid, considering the history of the club. Antonio Conte has conquered the English Premier League with Chelsea and the Italian Serie A with both Juventus and Inter Milan.
Conte's achievements include three straight Serie A titles between 2011 and 2014, and two Supercoppa Italiana triumphs, in 2012 and 2013, all with Juventus.
He also won the English Premier League with Chelsea in 2016-17 and the FA cup the following season with the same side.
His return to Serie A saw him end Juventus' dominance by winning the league title in the 2020-21 season with Inter Milan.
He was being considered as Zinedine Zidane's successor at Real Madrid last year. But a deal never materialized.
Conte's teams are known to be well drilled defensively and keen to play on the counter, in his preferred 3-5-2 formation. He is a blend of both an attacking and defensive manager who knows how to approach games with different tactics.
#4 Thomas Tuchel
Another manager who could be a good option to replace Ancelotti at Madrid is none other than Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel.
The German tactician is regarded as one of the best managers in Europe at the moment, and is the reigning UEFA and FIFA Men's Coach of the Year.
Tuchel is a versatile tactician who can play attacking football as seen during his time at Borussia Dortmund and PSG. He can also set up his team defensively, just like his current Chelsea side who are very difficult to break down at the back.
This season, Tuchel's Chelsea have let in just 19 goals in the Premier League, which is the second-best record behind Manchester City.
Some of his notable achievements include - two league titles with Paris Saint-Germain in 2019 and 2020, and two Trophee des Champions in 2018 and 2019.
Tuchel also secured Chelsea's second UEFA Champions League title in 2021. Not to forget, he also won the Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup with the Blues. The current off-the-field situation surrounding Chelsea could be a good opportunity for Madrid to swoop in for Tuchel.
