The situation on the Real Madrid bench is one of maximum tension. The club continue to wait on a decision from head coach Zinedine Zidane. Whether he will continue or not is the question on everyone’s lips. There is still a league title at stake, and therefore no decision has been made publicly by Zidane, in fact he denied reports at the weekend that he has told his players he will leave at the end of the current campaign.
Allegri or Raúl
There are currently two main candidates who could replace the Frenchman. Massimiliano Allegri is thinking over a decision on offers from two top European teams. Club legend Raúl González, who has almost dismissed the idea of going to coach in the Bundesliga, is the other candidate to replace Zidane, if he is to leave.
Zidane has not communicated his final decision to Madrid, although the club believe that his departure is almost certain. Madrid have taken an attitude of maximum respect for the French coach. They have not wanted to make any formal contact with Allegri, who is the favourite to replace him on the bench, until Zidane makes a decision. But it is clear that there is a real possibility of a change and that everything needs to be in place at Madrid if it is triggered.
Zidane linked to Juventus role
Allegri, who has been out of management for a season, is taking a risk as he has not yet responded to two top level offers. There is even talk of him returning to the Juventus bench. The news reported by this newspaper on Sunday morning, in which it was revealed that Allegri was the favourite to replace Zidane if he leaves Madrid, fell like a bombshell in Italy, where Allegri has a great reputation, but especially in Turin, where there is speculation suggesting that it will be Zidane who takes over at Juve.
Raúl impressing at Castilla
The option of Raúl has not been yet ruled out, due to his great knowledge of the club, his personality and his handling of the media. But he is still seen as an asset at Castilla, bringing players such as Blanco, Miguel Gutiérrez, Marvin and Chust through to the first team setup. Allegri is a winner and has proved it at the elite level. He is also accustomed to dealing with dressing rooms full of star names and egos.
The next Madrid squad could potentially be filled with big names, including Alaba, Mbappé, Haaland and Camavinga. And this new batch will still coincide, in many cases, with the old guard that has won so much. The coach who replaces Zidane if he leaves, Allegri or Raúl, will be in charge of restructuring the project announced by club president Florentino Pérez. If it is Raúl, he will do it with people from the club. If it is Allegri, he will arrive with his assistant, Marco Landucci, and his fitness coach Simone Fonleti. But everything is at a standstill for now, until LaLiga is resolved this weekend.
