Real Madrid News
Real Madrid president identifies the only manager who can solve the ongoing crisis
Although Real Madrid have been able to end 2025 with three back-to-back wins in all competitions, the management’s outlook on the team and their coach is far from ideal.
Xabi Alonso does not exactly inspire confidence in the board, and a change of manager could still be on the horizon if the team fails in the upcoming Spanish Super Cup.
Florentino Perez is more than aware of the problem and wants someone to replace Alonso who can truly fix the issue at Real Madrid.
Perez has set his sights on Zinedine Zidane
According to Defensa Central, Perez has only one man in his mind to solve the ongoing crisis, and it is none other than Zinedine Zidane.
The report points out that if things were up to Perez, Zidane would already be a coach at Real Madrid, returning for his third managerial stint at the club.
Perez believes Zidane is the ideal personality to take over the Real Madrid job from Alonso, simply because of his imposing presence in the dressing room.
Several players in the current Real Madrid team already idolise the Frenchman, while players like Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr. have known him since they were children.
It was Zidane who had played a key role in their early development and it is unlikely the two Brazilians will have any problem with him returning.
However, Zidane himself remains determined to take over the managerial role of the French national team, with current coach Didier Deschamps expected to step down after the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Perez, therefore, has his hands tied, although the Real Madrid president does hold a lot of weight and it will be interesting to see if he can truly convince the Frenchman to return to Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid opted to renew Antonio Rudiger’s contract this past summer to keep him at the club for one more season.
The 33-year-old veteran defender, though, has not been performing at his best, with physical problems taking their toll and age starting to catch up with him.
As such, the expectation is that Los Blancos will not extend his contract again when his current one expires on 30 June 2027.
Tottenham eye Antonio Rudiger
And, according to reports relayed by AS, Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a free-transfer swoop to sign Rudiger in the summer of next year.
The north London club are understood to be keen on reinforcing their backline next year and see the German defender as an option, given his experience in the Premier League and the fact that he would be available for free in the summer.
So far this season, Rudiger has played only five games for Real Madrid, amounting to a total of 396 minutes.
The 33-year-old has even chipped in with two goals, including the all-important winner in the 4-3 comeback victory over AS Roma on Wednesday night.
Time to move on?
Despite Rudiger being a hugely respected figure in the Real Madrid locker room, he is currently the third-choice centre-back for Jose Mourinho.
After all, summer signing Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen have been preferred by the manager so far in the new season.
Moreover, with Eder Militao set to return imminently after a lengthy injury layoff, Rudiger’s game-time could be impacted further.
Given the situation and factoring in Real Madrid’s plans to sign another centre-back next summer, it is pretty much evident that Rudiger does not feature in the club’s plans for beyond this season.
As such, a separation of ways seems pretty likely when his contract expires, and Tottenham are now positioning themselves as early suitors to sign Rudiger as a free agent in 2027.
