Real Madrid begin the hunt for their next manager

Real Madrid’s Champions League elimination at the hands of Bayern has triggered a full blown crisis at the club, which is now on course to finish a second straight season without silverware. 

The first casualty appears to be Álvaro Arbeloa who, barring a major surprise, is not expected to remain on the Madrid bench.

Following the defeat in Munich, the search for Real Madrid’s next manager has already begun. Several names are being discussed for the role.

Zinedine Zidane is once again among the leading candidates, and Florentino Pérez would reportedly love to bring him back. 

However, that scenario is viewed as highly unlikely, with Zidane expected to succeed Didier Deschamps as France head coach.

Deschamps himself is also being mentioned as a possible option for Madrid. While some remain skeptical, the reality is that he is well regarded by Kylian Mbappé, with whom he shares a strong relationship through the French national team setup.

Jürgen Klopp has also been linked with Real Madrid ever since the club dismissed Xabi Alonso and appointed Arbeloa. 

The German coach has denied any contact with Madrid and does not appear ready to return to management immediately. 

Even so, he remains one of the most strongly backed candidates within the club.

The latest name to emerge is Mauricio Pochettino, currently in charge of the United States national team. The Argentine has long been admired by Real Madrid and is highly rated by Florentino Pérez. 

In fact, he was once seen as the favorite to replace Zidane in 2018 before Julen Lopetegui was ultimately appointed. Now, another opportunity could open for him to arrive at the Bernabéu.

For now, these are the names most strongly linked with the Real Madrid job for next season, although with a long summer ahead, more candidates could still emerge.