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5 candidates to replace to Julen Lopetegui at Real Madrid

By Kristofer McCormack

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 19: Antonio Conte, Manager of Chelsea gives his team instructions during The Emirates FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on May 19, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 19: Antonio Conte, Manager of Chelsea gives his team instructions during The Emirates FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on May 19, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /
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A 2-1 defeat at home to Levante has left the future of Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui in doubt. Here are five candidates that could replace him.

Crisis talk is only ever one or two defeats away when you’re Real Madrid boss, so when Julen Lopetegui’s side suffered their fourth defeat in five games in all competitions on Saturday, it was no surprise to anyone the 52-year-old’s job security took a hit.

It’s a historic run of bad form for Madrid, the first time they’ve failed to win five consecutive league games since 2009, and the Spanish giants were just minutes away from setting a new record for their longest run without scoring. It’s not looking good for the former national team coach and with El Clasico looming, journalists and fans aren’t optimistic he’ll last the week.

So, If Lopetegui fails to see out the week in the Spanish capital, who would take over? Here are five candidates that could be sitting in the dug out for Los Blancos‘ big game against Barcelona next Sunday.

(Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
(Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images) /

Antonio Conte

Antonio Conte was on Real Madrid’s radar to replace Zinedine Zidane during the summer, however the move never materialized due to a number of factors, including the former Juventus boss holding out hope he would be backed by the Chelsea board for another season or that he would get a job in Italy

Things are much different now, however. Conte is unemployed with his former side hiring Maurizo Sarri and no role in Italy materializing. Hence, one feels that if Conte is still eager to return to management, he would seriously consider an offer from Madrid should they come knocking a second time. Conte would be an interesting choice for Los Blancos. Unlike Lopetegui, Conte has a proven track record at club level having won Serie A with Juventus three times and the 2016-17 Premier League with Chelsea. Among the readily available candidates for Madrid, Conte is probably the most successful and the early favorite to succeed Lopetegui.

While a proven winner, Conte comes with a few issues. He was publicly critical of the Chelsea board in his final season. Whether he was right or wrong, such an outspoken nature won’t sit well with his potential employers. Though not necessarily a defensive coach (Chelsea had the second best attack when he won the league with them), Conte’s 3-4-3 system would still be a hard sell to the Bernabeu faithful, especially if the new system doesn’t bring results quickly.

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