Zinedine Zidane’s shock exit has not yet settled for many; however, the club is wasting no time in finding his successor. While some felt his time was coming to an end, the Frenchman was highly success – winning three Champions League in a row is a testament to that – and will be a tough act to replace.
The task at hand for Los Blancos, while difficult, is as clear as day: they must find the ideal manager to build on Zizou’s champions and invigorate the players. According to Marca, two candidates have already been contacted.
The first is Mauricio Pochettino, the highly-regarded tactician at Tottenham. Despite turning the Spurs into a quality side, many will point to the fact that the Argentine is yet to win anything during his reign in north London.
Nonetheless, he has been linked with the Bernabeu job several times before. His tendency to field young players, which has worked out quite well for him at Tottenham, could be his main attraction. Florentino Perez is reportedly keen on phasing out his older player in favor of younger blood, with even Cristiano rumored to be facing the axe.
Another candidate who has been reached out to is Joachim Low. Winning the 2014 World Cup is the highlight of the German’s career, but the manner in which he conquered the world and turned die Mannschaft into one of the best teams in the world is why he is hailed as a manager.
One factor which could make it difficult to appoint the Argentine or German is that they have both recently signed new contracts. Pochettino penned a five-year deal with his Premier League employer, with there being no release clause, while Low is now under contract until 2022.
Their responses remain unknown. Furthermore, Real Madrid’s hierarchy has not yet chosen their main candidate and are exploring their option. However, the Blancos officials know they must get this appointment right or risk a repeat of the Rafael Benitez debacle.
