Zinedine Zidane announced resignation as Real Madrid manager this past week. (Source: Reuters)
When Zinedine Zidane took seat alongside Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, following a surprise press conference, in the plush presidential suite of the club’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium, many expected the Frenchman to extend his tenure at the club. After three consecutive Champions League titles, taking the tally of European titles to 13, Zidane had etched his name into history books and it had been less than three years into his first job as a football manager. But, like his exit on the international stage, Zidane dropped a bombshell and announced he was leaving the club to take a break.
At a club like Real Madrid which is fickle with its managers, Zidane bidding ‘hasta pronto’ clashed with the 20th anniversary of the sacking of Jupp Heynckes, merely eight days after he had steered Los Blancos to their seventh European Cup. In fact, Zizou became the first manager since Jose Antonio Camacho, in 2004, to leave of his own accord under Perez’s presidency.
Even before Zidane had finished saying his thank you’s to the president, the squad and the fans, potential replacement candidates were being put across. Joachim Low and Mauricio Pochettino were top of the list with Arsene Wenger, Antonio Conte and former player Guti coming further down the list.
“I absolutely rule it out,” Low said when quizzed on the Real job at a press conference from Germany’s training camp in Italy. “For me, that is not an issue. I am at the World Cup now. Surely they [Real] will find a good successor for Zidane.”
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But in the local press, it is the former Espanyol manager Pochettino who has been heralded as the most suitable replacement for the job. But the Spurs boss, who signed a contract extension until 2023, is going to be an asset that Real Madrid would have to pry away from the London club’s hold. Real’s interest in Pochettino goes way back since the club looked to find a replacement for Carlo Ancelotti. Back then, the club appointed Rafa Benitez before Zidane turned things around from a horror start. He’s made giant strides in justifying his credentials and none better than defeating Real themselves and picking up four points over two games in the Champions League.
Pochettino said: “It would be disrespectful to Daniel [Levy] for me to force a move. I’ve just renewed with Tottenham and I am happy. I live in the present – there is nothing more important than that. I enjoy what is happening and what has to be will be. The link now with Madrid is normal and I take it with all normality. I’m committed to Spurs and still have a long contract with them I just signed.”
The response now is much firmer than a few days back for El Confidencial where he had said, “When Real Madrid call you, you have to listen to them. Although in this case it doesn’t depend on me. I have just signed a long contract with Tottenham and I am very happy here.”
Zidane Zidane could hardly have set the bar any higher with three straight European Cups. (Source: AP)
“I am happy at Tottenham because they let me work and we are growing together. Right now I want to focus on planning for next season and keep out of all the things that are being said. There will be lots of rumours, lots of things said, but I have no news from Real Madrid.”
“I’m working very comfortably at Tottenham and it’s my obligation to focus on that. I do not want, nor can I, comment on Zidane going but what he has done is undoubtedly very big: no one has won three Champions Leagues in a row recently.”
Soon after Zidane’s press conference, Spurs were quick to try and douse the rumour fire. They insisted that there is no clause in Pochettino’s contract that allows him to leave, or a verbal agreement in place that allows him to return to Spain.
This, in a World Cup year, has left Perez and the Real Madrid management without a Plan B, without a man at the top to steer the club forward. Real’s problems and next step exists in finding a way to get back to winning ways in the league following a forgettable domestic season. Zizou’s reasoning for leaving, besides the exhaustion of the job, is also of not having the right solution to help the team the following season.
What about Bale and Ronaldo?
Future of both Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale is in the air at Real Madrid. (Source: Reuters)
Following the 3-1 triumph over Liverpool in Kiev, Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed the headlines, not with his goalscoring prowess (for once), but for suggesting he could be on his way out of the club. Gareth Bale, who was on the scoresheet, however, had claimed that he wants to play week in, week out and get more playing time. That, as far as Real Madrid fans were concerned, was the biggest concern going into the summer. But, with Zizou leaving the chair vacant, two of the BBC could well be headed out of the Bernabeu in the summer in the biggest flash sale the white side of Madrid has seen in some time.
Sans Zizou, Ronaldo and Bale, club surely recognises that this is an end of an unprecedent level of success which has seen dominance in Europe. But it cannot be ignored that Barcelona’s hold over domestic football would bother the suits inside the Avenue Concha Espina.