5 candidates to replace to Julen Lopetegui at Real Madrid

Maurico Pochettino

There can be no doubt Pochettino has been and still would be Real Madrid’s dream coach. He was top of the list to replace Zidane and is admired by both the fans and Florentino Perez.

Although he doesn’t boast the silverware Conte does, Pochettino can take credit for turning Spurs from challenging for fifth place to title challengers. He has nurtured some of England’s brightest home grown stars, something which will go down well in the Spanish capital should he carry his emphasis on youth over to Madrid.

One underrated quality of Pochettino is his ability to make the most of a limited squad. The Argentine hasn’t been afford a big budget in north London yet is consistently able to have his team compete with sides with twice the amount of resources Spurs have. Sure, there’s plenty of quality at Spurs with Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli, but many of Spurs best players owe it to Pochettino for identifying their talent and for trusting them enough to give them a chance.

Such qualities would serve him well at Madrid, with reinforcements likely not to arrive until at least January. He seems the perfect fit for Madrid. There’s just one problem: Pochettino isn’t likely to leave Spurs. The 46-year-old was offered this job last season and refused it, opting to see out his project in London. With this in mind, it seems very unlikely Pochettino will abandon Spurs midseason for the Spanish capital.