Florentino Perez is on the lookout for a new coach for Real Madrid after the Spaniards got humiliated by Ajax Amsterdam 1-4 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday night to crash out of the UEFA Champions League 3-5 on aggregate in the round of 16 after staying at the top of the competition for more than 1000 days.
The record European champions are having a torrid season already having been knocked out of Copa Del Rey semis by arch rivals Barcelona and are 12 points away from the top of La Liga with 12 games to go. A slow start by Julen Lopetegui saw him lose his job in October after being appointed in June 2018. Santiago Solari was promoted from RM Castilla as the caretaker manager and a bright start saw him pen a permanent contract till June 2021. However, things have not been so rosy and bright since then as inconsistent performances and poor managerial decisions have made the team face exits from both knockout competitions.
After the exit from the Champions League this week, Senor Perez has already decided that Solari will continue for now but will not be the manager next season. Jurgen Klopp is reportedly his primary target to replace the Argentine next season. However, Klopp apparently has already made it clear that he has no intention of leaving The Reds next season.
Klopp is currently on a contract with Liverpool until 2022 and he looks set to finish the 29 year wait for a first place finish in the Premier League. Klopp’s work has been miraculous at Merseyside as he has led the side into League cup, Europa League and Champions League finals since taking over mid season in 2015.
Liverpool are still challenging for a double this season. They are tied on points at the top of the Premier League table only being second to them in goal difference. They faced Bayern Munich in the second leg of the Champions League next week at Allianz Arena with the first leg having finished 0-0 at Anfield and beat them 3-1.
The German manager has very strong backing from the club’s boardroom and has been heavily supported in the transfer markets. The chances of him joining Real Madrid next season even If he finishes trophyless this season is almost negligible. Bayern Munich also tried to secure his services in the past but he rejected all advances as he’s been confident enough that he can end the league trophy drought at the club.
Florentino Perez looked at other alternatives, as the interest from Jurgen Klopp towards Real Madrid seemed very minimal. A return of Zinedine Zidane to the club was also doing the rounds in the Spanish media back then, subject to Perez agreeing to certain conditions related to transfer market.
Jose Mourinho was another coach who was apparently heading for a second stint at the Santiago Bernabeu. Max Allegri and Antonio Conte are among the other names that are doing the rounds as favourites to replace Santiago Solari, who would have been possibly sacked at the end of the season. However, it was Zidane who came back and is already making an impact with the team.
