Zinedine Zidane stepped down as Real Madrid manager on Thursday, days after winning the Champions League for the third consecutive time.
The Frenchman took over from Rafael Benitez mid-season in January 2016 and steered Madrid back to glory in two-and-a-half magical years. Zidane, who lifted the Champions League with Real Madrid as a player in 2002, also guided the Spanish giants to Champions League glory in 2016 and in 2017, beating Atletico Madrid and Juventus in the respective finals.
Following Zidane’s sudden departure, Real Madrid are on the hunt for a new manager and have reportedly set their sights on Tottenham Hotspur’s Mauricio Pochettino as the top candidate to replace the Frenchman.
Pochettino signed a new five-year contract with Tottenham last week, which means the ball is in Daniel Levy’s court.
Hence, Madrid can forget about signing Pochettino and look at other candidates to replace Zidane. It’s going to be a tough time for Florentino Perez to find a suitable replacement but here are three managers the European champions should look to sign as their new manager.
Guti
A true Madrid fan, Guti won five La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies during an illustrious career at the Bernabeu.
Having spent 24 years at the club as a player and now coaching at the youth level for five years, the former playmaker is as close as the ideal candidate Madrid are going to get.
Real Madrid promoted Zidane from Real Madrid B team and while it could be impulsive to say it will follow the same path, Guti’s appointment would a favourable one even if he lacks the experience of managing a big team.
Arsene Wenger
Arsene Wenger ended his 22-year spell as Arsenal boss at the end of the season. A proven winner, Wenger’s desire of playing attacking and expansive football would be a perfect fit at Madrid, as he also has the personality to handle superstars at this level.
However, the veteran Frenchman lost his charisma in the last few years with the Gunners but he could do a short-term job at the Bernabeu.
Max Allegri
Max Allegri has led Juventus to four consecutive domestic doubles between 2015 and 2018, which shows he has the top credentials to replace Zidane at Madrid.
The Italian is capable of guiding the Los Blancos to the La Liga title but the lack of European success on his CV might be a bit of a bother.
However, Perez can send shockwaves by appointing Allegri, as the Juventus boss can bring a complete philosophical shift at the Bernabeu.
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