5 Managers who Could Replace Rafa Benitez at Real Madrid Including Chelsea and Former Spurs Manager

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has called a media conference at 1930 CET where he is expected to address rumours that Rafa Benitez’s job is at risk. Though it will be unfair on Benitez if he is sacked, but knowing Real Madrid, they are known to sack managers at will. With just 4 months into the season, sacking the manager would inject negative vibes into the players. Leave out the players, who else will be available to replace Rafa? Let us take a look at the list of possible candidates to replace Benitez at Real Madrid if he is sacked

Zinedine Zidane:

A name that requires no introduction to the Football aficionados. Zidane, after his retirement, has set his sights on managerial career. First he was the assistant of Carlo Ancelotti in his first season and was replaced by his Real Madrid teammate Fernando Hierro for the Italian’s second season. Zidane was appointed as the coach at Real Madrid Castilla, where he is doing a splendid job. Perez will not have any second thoughts on having the Frenchman as the interim manager till the end of the season.

Andre Vilas-Boas:

Yes, you read it. Andre Vilas-Boas, the former Porto, Chelsea and Tottenham manager’s name is going rounds in papers as an option to replace Rafa Benitez. The Portuguese, who was an understudy of former Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho when he was at Porto has done a great job with small teams and with big teams, he failed to live up to the expectations. It will be a huge task for him if he was appointed to take over the Galacticos of Real Madrid. He is currently the manager of Zenit st. Petersburg.

Jupp Heynckes:

Jupp Heynckes, the man who won the treble with Bayern Munich in his last season in charge as a manager has quit his job and is spending some quality time with his family. Since many Real Madrid fans started to support the club post-2009, Heynckes managed Real Madrid in the past in 1997-98 season when he led the side to their first European Cup in 22 years. If the Spanish giants can convince him to come out of retirement, it would be a good choice for the 10 time European Champions.

Carlo Ancelotti:

Carlo Ancelotti was the predecessor of Rafa Benitez after he went trophyless in his second season with the club and decided to take a year off and undergo an operation for his spinal stenosis. Many believed that he won’t return to the club that sacked him. But when asked about his return to the club, he said I would go back to Real, just like I would go back to Paris Saint-Germain or Chelsea. I had some fantastic experiences abroad, but when I left Madrid I decided to take a year off and that is how it is. Some clubs have already made enquiries and I told them all the same thing: that I want to start again from next year. I’ve taken on three jobs during a season, with Juve, Milan and PSG, and they all turned out to be negative.

Jose Mourinho:

The current Chelsea boss is the fans’ favourite as the fans kept on shouting his name during the El Clasico. With Chelsea boss Roman Abramovich giving his full confidence to the Portuguese, it is unlikely that Mourinho will return to Madrid, that too in the middle of a season.