With Julen Lopetegui seemingly a dead man walking, Florentino Pérez is increasingly considering the option of the Real playing legend.
For the moment, Julen Lopetegui is to stay on as Real Madrid coach - at least until next Sunday's Clásico against Barcelona. However, the club's hierarchy have lost confidence in him. Real president Florentino Pérez feels that, with Lopetegui failing to find a winning formula, it is growing more and more unlikely that he will be able to turn the situation around. And, in the wake of Saturday's La Liga defeat to Levante, one name has begun to gain greater and greater traction in Pérez's conversations with fellow club chiefs: Guti.
The former Real Under-19s boss, who is now an assistant coach at Turkish side Besiktas, is viewed favourably as a potential emergency solution. In the wake of Zinedine Zidane's successful tenure in the Bernabéu dugout, the European champions are attracted by the similar characteristics that Guti possesses: he is a figure who knows the club inside out, is hugely popular with the fans and is also close to many members of the squad - something which would leave him well placed to establish a more direct connection with the players as Los Blancos seek to revive a faltering season in which they are now four points adrift of La Liga leaders Barça.
Working against Guti, however, is his inexperience as a top-level coach, although that was also the case of Zidane, who only had a year and a half in charge of the club's 'B' team, Castilla, on his CV. Guti, 41, opted to move to Turkey in the summer after the club opted against promoting him to the Castilla dugout - despite his fine results with the Under-19s - and kept fellow former Real player Santiago Solari in the post for a third consecutive season.
Solari has also been considered by Pérez and Real's general manager, José Ángel Sánchez, but with Castilla enjoying a good campaign in Segunda B, their preference is to leave the Argentine in charge of the second team ahead of a potential promotion play-offs at the end of the season.
Either way, the club do not plan to fire Lopetegui before the Clásico - barring a disaster in the Champions League clash with Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday. The former Spain coach told Pérez after the loss to Levante that he feels able and determined to turn the side's fortunes around.
However, as has been revealed by the Spanish radio station Cadena SER, Pérez lost faith in Lopetegui after the defeat to Alavés earlier in October - so much so that he was minded to sack him then - and it appears a matter of when, not if, the Basque is shown the door.
Sokanola
237
It quite amazing how a team goes from conquering Europe to flopping badly in the league. Pls explain to me how you lose a top quality coach and a goal machine all at once, i love an explanation? The likes of Benzema were feeding off CR7 and it's such a shame, he has forgotten where the goalpost is. How the mighty has fallen, so sad. 😞
Gunnersincebirth
153
I think arsene Wenger is the right man for the job .He is so swift, he knows the right transfers to make and the right starting lineup to choose. He once went undefeated in a whole premier league season (something no other manager has managed to do). He knows when and who to substitute. Hector s just great. We love you
Yepbnorsy
141
The problem real Madrid facing today derived from the president (Perez ). How will you make such a mistakes like that, after Zidane won the Champions League five days after the victory Zidane left the job. Then him should have may CR7 to go to Juventus. Now Juventus are saying cr7 looks like a 20 years old boy. Cr7 was wanted three seasons extension our president Perez denied or refused to give cr7 the three seasons now Juventus gave cr7 four seasons. Perez should be blames. Who real Madrid get to scores 45 -50 goals per season. l challenges bale and benezema to the amount of goals. now the coach is anticipating of small club Victoria plazin , him the whole Sunday planning how to draw the starting eleven. Please Perez , we need hazard, psg and France km and fromer player Guti to over Lapeguie .
eloro
128
Perez should see him self as d major problem of Madrid. Zidane asked him ' who u preferred to leave, he said ronaldo' Thats y Zidane left as well. I don't know who on earth will WANT to send off a player with such quality.