Indeed, Jose Mourinho’s time at Real Madrid may come to an abrupt end; the shenanigans of the man at the helm have left a large portion of Madridistas terribly disappointed. The Spanish La Liga title looks beyond Los Blancos’ reach.
The month of February will reveal a lot about Real Madrid’s fortunes in cup competitions this season. In the Copa del Rey, they need to finish off Barcelona at the Camp Nou to progress after salvaging nothing more than a 1-1 draw on home soil.
In the UEFA Champions League Last 16, pre-tournament favourites Manchester United are poised to give Real Madrid an extremely tough fight. Whether Jose Mourinho succeeds or not in bringing glory to Los Blancos this term, strong rumours suggest that the club will part company with him in summer – if not earlier.
So who would be ideal to replace Mourinho at Real Madrid? Here is a look at the top three contenders who could take possession of the head coach seat at the Santiago Bernabeu.
1. Arsene Wenger of Arsenal
The Frenchman has been hugely successful at Arsenal but the honeymoon period with the Gunners is now something of the past. In Arsene’s own words, blame this on ‘financial doping’ amid other factors. Wenger has consistently struggled to hold on to his key players. Top stars like Fabregas and Van Persie, for example, left for greener pastures. Arsenal might have been much more successful in other circumstances.
At Real Madrid, Arsene Wenger would possess an array of superstars and a big cash to spend on the market. These two factors, together with the coach’s football style which looks similar to Barcelona’s, could create a perfect match for a side like Los Blancos.
Another thing is that Madrid lack behind Barcelona when it comes to the development of young players. With a man like Arsene Wenger, the Spanish giants could revive the Cantera and compete with what is arguably the world’s best youth academy, La Masia of Barcelona.
2. Jupp Heynckes of Bayern Munich
Jupp will step down from the Bayern Munich hot seat at the end of the season. This news was confirmed earlier in January. Last season, the German giants were extremely unlucky not to have won the UEFA Champions League. They lost in the final, ending their season on a disappointing note as Borussia Dortmund taunted them domestically.
This year, however, Bayern have bounced back in great style. They are doing well on all fronts under Jupp Heynckes – a manager who apparently knows how to deal with egos in the dressing room. It is such a boss that Florentino Perez might want so as to maintain order within Real Madrid’s squad.
3. Vicente del Bosque of Spain
He was dismissed after he won the league with Real Madrid in 2003. This decision was seen as a shock in the eyes of the public but Del Bosque finally had the last laugh a few years later as he went on to win the World Cup as a manager with Spain. His latest achievement is glory in the 2012 European Championship. Again, not everyone may appreciate the playing style that he has associated with the Spanish national team. Some actually portray it as ‘boring’.
However, just as he defeated Barcelona icon Pep Guardiola and current Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho in the contest for the 2012 FIFA Men’s Coach of the Year award, he might triumph over other coaches should Los Blancos appoint him.
In truth, Is Jose Mourinho doing enough to deserve his post as coach?
