Succeeding a manager that won three consecutive Champions League manager and taking over a club that would lose their all-time top scorer was never going to be easy. Regardless, Julen Lopetegui will be cut no slack for his struggles at the helm of Real Madrid.
The 52-year-old took over Los Blancos after impressing with the Spanish national team during the World Cup qualifiers, building a formidable side with Isco at the heart of everything. At the Bernabeu, the fomer Porto boss was expected to do the same but has failed to do so.
Speaking ahead of his team's next game, clash with Viktoria Plzen, Lopetegui confessed that he is not worried about his job. Talks of his sacking have escalated amid the club's poor form that he found the need to deny the reports.
No one is buying the gaffer's response, though. Real Madrid has gone five straight games without a win in all competitions. Under Lopetegui, the Madrid giant set a new club record for the longest goal drought, going 481 minutes without finding the back of the net, with Marcelo's goal in the 2-1 home defeat to Levante bringing that awful run to an end.
After 481 minutes, Real Madrid's worst ever goalless run ended by Marcelo. #LaLiga
— Adriano Del Monte (@adriandelmonte) October 20, 2018
Finally pic.twitter.com/blqOxdECAT
As a result, the Real Madrid board will not wait until the new calendar year to make a managerial change as they did during Rafael Benitez's short but disastrous spell in charge. According to Marca, Florentino Perez is one bad result away from axing Lopetegui.
The paper claims that he will be shown the door after his next defeat. Time constraint has saved his position for Tuesday's game, with only a reassuring victory over the Czech outfit enough to spare him until El Clasico.
However, his team faces a tricky opponent between now and their next Champions League game. They are none other than bitter rival Barcelona in La Liga. A Copa del Rey tie follows that, with a league clash with Valladolid preceding the return leg against Plzen.
With the tock ticking on Lopetegui's reign, many names have been tipped to replace the Spaniard
We suspended betting yesterday on Julen Lopetegui being sacked as Real Madrid manager.
— Coral (@Coral) October 21, 2018
Here's the latest market on a potential replacement:
3/1 Antonio Conte
7/2 Mauricio Pochettino
6/1 Arsene Wenger
7/1 Guti
10/1 Jose Mourinho
16/1 Massimiliano Allegri pic.twitter.com/UqLIprfRsa
This means Julen might not be around by the time Ramos and Co. travel to Roma in Matchday 4. A defeat to Plzen would be embarrassing enough to merit the ax. What he must do is win to either save his job or bow out with a bang if the ship has already sailed.
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