Real Madrid often achieves what they want, which is to recruit the best players in the world or win the biggest titles. But when a bleak season is at risk of ending after the confrontation with Bayern Munich in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, it could lead to a search for a new coach.
Currently, Real Madrid is 9 points behind Barcelona in La Liga and has been eliminated from Copa del Rey from the round of 16 by Albacete. If they cannot reverse the 1-2 defeat in the first leg, they will experience their second consecutive season empty-handed. At that time, Alvaro Arbeloa - who replaced Xabi Alonso from January - almost has no chance to continue in office after the summer.
However, the biggest problem is not about sacking, but finding a replacement. President Florentino Perez needs a coach who meets the criteria: class, achievements, personality strong enough to control the dressing room and especially bring immediate success. But at the present time, finding such a name is extremely difficult.
Familiar options in the past such as Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane are not feasible. Ancelotti is likely to extend his contract with the Brazilian national team, while Zidane is expected to replace Didier Deschamps in the French national team.
In two periods of leading Real Madrid, Ancelotti won 3 Champions Leagues and 2 La Ligas, and Zidane also has similar achievements. More importantly, both are capable of entering the dressing room and receiving absolute respect from the stars - something that Alonso could not do in his short time leading the team.
Alonso came to Real Madrid with a great reputation: once won the Champions League and La Liga when he was playing, and made a splash when he helped Bayer Leverkusen win the Bundesliga without losing any match. However, everything became meaningless when the stars at the Bernabeu no longer trusted him.
Perez's big mistake lies in underestimating the influence of the dressing room. Real Madrid believes that they possess a talented young coach, but do not create conditions for him to develop his ability.
Therefore, the current list of candidates becomes unconvincing. Top names like Pep Guardiola (Manchester City) or Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain) are almost impossible to reach.
Thomas Tuchel has just accepted a job in the England national team, while Jurgen Klopp - a bright candidate - has publicly rejected the possibility of coming to Madrid. Further options such as Massimiliano Allegri or Mauricio Pochettino have also not created absolute confidence, as they lack major titles or have not maintained stable form recently.
Other options such as Jose Mourinho, Julian Nagelsmann, Unai Emery or Enzo Maresca all have many question marks. In fact, Real Madrid is falling into a situation created by themselves. They sacked Ancelotti after a white-handed season, but did not protect Alonso from internal pressure. As a result, the team lost direction both for the present and the future.
If they cannot create a big deal on the coaching bench - like Klopp or Enrique - Real Madrid is likely to have to accept an imperfect choice. And for a club that always sets the highest standards, that is unacceptable.
