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Time is a funny old thing. When Zinedine Zidane left the club at the end of the 2017-18 season, a majority of the fans were in tears to see their legendary coach leave after winning the Champions League three times in a row.
At the time, they knew that they were staring at an abyss. And just a few months later, their fears were realized as Madrid sacked the man they had brought in to replace the Frenchman.
A few more months later, Julen Lopetegui’s successor was also sacked. This time, however, Santiago Solari was replaced by none other than Zidane – the man was back again.
The fans cheered the appointment, looked to him as their savior. He was the second coming of Christ, or the 10th avatar of Lord Vishnu. But little did they know that this was going to turn out to be a case of Caesar leading Rome.
Now, with Real Madrid second in the league and staring at the embarrassment of getting knocked out of the Champions League from the group stages itself, it is do-or-die for Zidane. A loss tonight against Galatasaray could be the end of his second spell at the Bernabeu.
He can still save himself with a good performance, but on the off chance that he doesn’t, here are five managers that Madrid could look at to replace him:
#5 Jose Mourinho
We will start with the more infamous names. Jose Mourinho has already had a spell at Real Madrid and it was something of a mixed bag. The Portuguese brought league success to the Bernabeu but couldn’t win the coveted Champions League – the competition for which he was specially brought in.
Before he left, Mourinho had lost the dressing room after colliding with the senior-most players of the squad. Since then, he has had to face the sack at whichever club he has managed.
However, there are quite a few reports linking him with a move to Los Merengues, as Florentino Perez still seems to be a fan of him. But the players – especially Sergio Ramos – might not be too keen on having Mourinho back at the club.
#4 Guti Hernandez
Guti Hernandez is a well-known name at the Santiago Bernabeu. The former midfielder spent the majority of his career at Real Madrid, and by the time he left the club for a spell at Besiktas, he had already established himself as a legend.
After retiring from the game as a player, he took over the U-19 team of Real Madrid and was very successful. He won the domestic treble in his very first season and played a beautiful brand of attacking football to go with it.
Last season, Guti was the assistant manager at Besiktas. And while he might not have any experience of managing at the top level, Madrid could consider him as a candidate since he already knows the club inside out and would be a popular choice among the players that are already at the club.
#3 Raul Gonzalez
"This is not goodbye, but see you later. That's how it was with Alfredo Di Stefano. The Real Madrid crest is his crest and all the Madrid fans are his fans."
When Raul Gonzalez left the club in 2010 to join Schalke, Florentino Perez was convinced that it wasn’t the end of the road for the legendary Spain striker at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Almost a decade down the line his words have come to fruition, as Raul is now the manager of Real Madrid Castilla, the B team, and is doing quite well there. He has managed them for nine matches and has lost just once.
There is a clear vision and system to the team that he is managing. Like Guti, Raul would be a popular choice with the players. But his lack of experience might be a hindrance at this point in time.
#2 Xabi Alonso
Another former Real Madrid player, Xabi Alonso attained legendary status at the club following his five-year stay with Los Merengues, where he won the Champions League and the league title once.
Of all the former Real Madrid players on this list, Xabi Alonso seems like the most viable option due to the fact that he already showed immense tactical nous even before he had hung his boots up.
Alonso was an important tactical figure for all the managers that he played under – and the list includes some of the finest coaches of this millennium. It was almost set it stone that he would go on to become a manager some day.
Last year, Alonso joined Real Madrid as the coach of the U14s and won the league title in his debut season with the youth team, with nearly 150 goals scored in the process.
He is now managing the second team of Real Sociedad and is doing well there, which is why his name is among the candidates to replace Zidane should the Frenchman be sacked.
#1 Mauricio Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with a job to Real Madrid for a long time now. But getting him away from Tottenham Hotspur always seemed impossible due to the presence of Daniel Levy.
Things are different now though, as Pochettino’s job is on the line with the Lilywhites. They have been absolutely poor this season – they have 12 points from 9 games – and seem to have hit a downward spiral which might only end with the sacking of Pochettino.
If the Argentine becomes a free agent when (or if) Real Madrid decide to pull the trigger on Zidane, then he might be Perez’s first choice for the position.
Pochettino has already shown that he has the tactical prowess. And with the quality of players he will have at his disposal at Madrid, there is a good chance that he could do well for Los Blancos.
