The unrest at the Bernabeu still seems to be there. It was a dreadful season for Real Madrid last term. At least by their high standards. No Champions League title. No La Liga title and no Copa del Rey title.
In total Real Madrid lost twelve league games last season. There were many an eyebrow raised when Zinedine Zidane took over again. He came back to replace Santiago Soliari in March this year. The Frenchman had left the club last summer after another successful Champions League campaign.
His reason for departure was that, in his estimate, the club needed a major overhaul. He wasn’t prepared to stick around to see them through the changes. And he wasn’t sure if the board were going to do what was necessary.
Well, in the summer, Real Madrid spent money. The biggest chunk of it went on Eden Hazard. But a loss against PSG in the Champions League midweek has set about talks of an early exit for Zidane.
| Player |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Jose Mourinho | 6/5 | 6/5 |
| Mauricio Pochettino | 9/2 | 9/2 |
| Max Allegri | 11/4 | 7/1 |
| Roberto Martinez | 9/1 | 9/1 |
| Leonardo Jardim | 10/1 | 10/1 |
(Betting Odds were taken from Betfair and Paddy Power on September 19, 2019 at 14:13)
No fairytale return for Zidane
There’s an old adage of “never go back”. Don’t live off of former glories is what that is saying. There was no way that Zidane was going to be able to replicate the glory years of European dominance with them. Since coming back, Zidane has won just seven of fifteen league games with Madrid.
Given their heavy crash at the hands of Ajax in last season’s Champions League title defence, and then their loss in Paris in midweek, the pressure is mounting. Back to back Champions League defeats? Unheard of.
Then there was the whole Gareth Bale in the summer, Zidane basically telling everyone that he wanted Bale out of the door. Injuries and a block on a sale by club president Florentino Perez threw all that back in the head coach’s face.
There doesn’t seem to be the same happy relationship between Zidane and his squad. Their summer signings haven’t worked out yet either. Hazard’s start has been hampered by injury, the prolific Luka Jovic can’t get a start, and an injury to Rodrygo has kept him out all season.
Mourinho the man for Madrid?
So if Zidane has one foot out of the door, who will Real Madrid turn to next? It is reported that Zidane took the job back at the Bernabeu to stop the club giving the role to Jose Mourinho. The former Manchester United boss is the 6/5 favourite to be the next Real Madrid manager*(Betting Odds were taken from Betfair on September 19, 2019 at 14:13)
President Perez likes him and spoke to Mourinho before the Portuguese went to Old Trafford. Reportedly Mourinho’s previous tenure at the Bernabeu only fell apart because of Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos, who opposed his tactics. Ronaldo is gone, Ramos isn’t likely to be around much longer.
Time for Pochettino to move?
There have been signs this season that Spurs may not be able to move to the next level in terms of genuinely competing with Liverpool and Man City for the league title, nor in going all the way and winning the Champions League. Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with a move to Spain for a while now and while he has stuck with some loyalty to the North London club, you feel if Zidane goes, then Real Madrid would probably seriously consider.
The other big name on the list if not Mourinho or Pochettino would be Massimiliano Allegri. He strangely parted company with Juventus at the end of last season after having earned them their eighth Serie A title. It’s the Champions League title that the club wants and Allegri couldn’t quite deliver. He would be a wonderful capture and big enough to fill the role as well at the Bernabeu. It’s tough to see who else, other than those three, Real Madrid would trust to try and get the club back to former glories.
