Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon claims that ex-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho will take over at Real if the newly appointed manager and club legend Zinedine Zidane fails to live up to the expectations. Zidane was appointed as manager of the club yesterday after the sacking of Rafael Benitez, who had a fallout with the players which led to disappointing results. Calderon also added that Zidane was not Florentino Perez’s first choice to take over at the Bernabeu.
The former club president believes that Zidane has a tough task ahead of him and wished him good luck in his new role. "I wish Zidane all the best but I'm sure it's going to be very difficult. He is not the one that the President (Perez) wanted,” he said.
However, Calderon claims that Perez wanted Mourinho over Zidane and said, "He was trying to sign Mourinho and he didn't want Zidane. That is the truth. I don't know if he (Zidane) will be successful but if he is not, Mourinho will be on the bench in June."
"It is a great opportunity for Zidane [but] he lacks experience as a coach. That is a problem. I think the players like Zidane. He won everything with Real Madrid. I am sure the fans will receive him in a very good way. What happens in the next weeks, nobody knows,” Calderon added.
Jose Mourinho parted company with Chelsea in December and could well be approached by Real Madrid, where he spent a three-year spell before returning to Chelsea. The Portuguese won La Liga and Copa del Rey titles with Real in his first spell with the club and is looking for a new job as he had earlier revealed that he won’t be taking a sabbatical.
Zidane ready for the challenge
Zidane was the manager of Real Madrid’s youth side before taking up the job at the club and has been touted as a deserving candidate for the job by former teammates Luis Figo and David Beckham. The 43-year-old Frenchman thanked Perez for the opportunity and said, “I want to do my very best to ensure that this club at the end of the season will have a trophy. It is an important day for me, it's an emotional day, even more emotional than the day I signed as a player for the club.”
"I will be working hard with all the players and I think it will go well. I will put all the heart I have into this job for the club. Thank you very much,” he added.
Zidane, whose first game in charge will be on Saturday against Deportivo La Coruna at the Bernabeu, is the 11th coach to be appointed in Florentino Perez's 12 years as club president.
