• March 19, 2024

Mauricio Pochettino is the Bookies favourite to replace Zinedine Zidane

Pochettino favourite for Real Madrid job

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane is reportedly close to quitting the club for the second time in the space of just over a year according to talkSPORT.

The French Champions League winning manager spectacularly walked away from the club just days after beating Liverpool in the final held in Kyiv.

As a replacement club, President Florentino Perez first appointed former Spain national team manager Julen Lopetegui and then Santiago Solari to the role.

Neither of the two well-qualified managers worked out leading Perez to once again turn to Zidane in the hope that the World Cup winner could do his magic and return Real Madrid to their winning ways.

While we do not know what promises were made to Zidane to make him want to come back to the Santiago Bernabeu, he must have known that the task at hand was a big one.

Sources are saying that not being able to sign Paul Pogba this summer has Zidane ready to throw in the towel and walk away.

When speaking to London’s Independent Spanish journalist Diego Torres said: “Not signing Pogba puts Zidane on the brink of resigning. “Zidane personally promised Pogba he would bring him to Madrid, and now he is left looking bad.

According to British bookmakers Paddy Power, these are the favourite managers to replace Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid.

  • Unai Emery – 16/1 Unai Emery managed in LaLiga before with Sevilla and Valencia.
  • Jurgen Klopp 14/1 Jurgen Klopp has led Liverpool to back-to-back Champions League finals.
  • Antonio Conte – 12/1 The Italian is a league winner in Italy and England.
  • Raul – 10/1 The former Real striker is a legend at the Bernabeu.
  •  Roberto Martinez – 15/2 the former Wigan boss led Belgium to third place at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
  • Joachim Low – 9/2 Low has not managed a club side since Austria Wien in 2004.
  •  Jose Mourinho – 10/3 the former Chelsea and Inter Milan is remembered fondly by the Madridistas after their record-breaking 2011/12 season.
  • Mauricio Pochettino – 5/4 The Argentine was linked with a move to the Bernabeu all of last summer.

Of the above names, only two stick out, and that is Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino who if offered the job would have a hard time saying no.

My second choice would be Jose Mourinho. He knows the deal at Real Madrid and appears ready to get into management if the right club asked him.

In other Real Madrid news Marca is reporting that Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has not given up hope of joining Real Madrid, but admits it would take a miracle to happen this summer.

Paris Saint Germain has told Real Madrid that they need to include Luka Modric and Vinicius Junior if they want to sign Neymar. I can see no problem in the club letting Modric leave, but there is no way that Vinicius Junior is leaving the Santiago Bernabeu.