Real Madrid News
Real Madrid’s Plan A and Plan B for next manager – report
Real Madrid’s search for a new manager is in full swing, and the club has now identified their top managerial targets.
Going by the rumours in recent days, Jose Mourinho appears to be the top-placed candidate to arrive at the Valdebebas as the new manager. However, there are several other options being considered.
As relayed by Abraham Romero in a recent report, however, there are only two candidates in the race as matters stand, and the club have heavily filtered down their list.
Down from five
The Spanish journalist relays that Real Madrid began with a five-man shortlist that included Mauricio Pochettino, Jurgen Klopp, Jose Mourinho, Lionel Scaloni, and Didier Deschamps.
From that, only two names remain as strong contenders – Mourinho and Deschamps.
The club believe that only one type of manager succeeds at the club – the Carlo Ancelotti, Zinedine Zidane, and Jose Mourinho type of coaches who are strict and excellent man-managers.
In that sense, Mourinho is the top candidate to take over the position and is seen as the best option internally.
Concurrently, they have a Plan B, which is Didier Deschamps, a highly experienced manager who has successfully managed a star-studded French national team.
Scaloni, Nageslmann, Mauricio Pochettino, Massimiliano Allegri, and other initially linked names have all been discarded as matters stand.
With the end of the season nearing, Real Madrid do not have long to finalise a managerial appointment.
If they are to negotiate with Deschamps, they will likely have to wait until the end of the FIFA World Cup, and will thus activate that option only if the Mourinho deal falls apart.
As for Mourinho, the club is yet to negotiate with Benfica, but the Portuguese manager is expected to be available if a €3 million fee is paid.
After a month into the new season, Aurelien Tchouameni is finally back in action for Real Madrid.
The Frenchman made his first appearance of the season for the Merengues last night against Inter Milan after recovering from the muscular injury that delayed his campaign.
His return to fitness had raised questions over where he would fit into Mourinho’s plans.
Tchouameni has been a regular in Real Madrid’s midfield for several seasons under different managers, but the end of last season was far less straightforward.
His confrontation with Federico Valverde, combined with speculation over his future at the club, created uncertainty about his position. His lack of a proper pre-season also appeared to put him behind other midfield options.
Bernardo Silva had established himself as an important figure, while Eduardo Camavinga was also ahead of Tchouameni in terms of match fitness.
With Real Madrid looking for greater creativity in midfield, there were questions over whether the Frenchman would still be a first-choice player.
Key for Mourinho
According to AS (h/t Bernabeu Digital), however, Mourinho has no such doubts. Tchouameni remains a key player for the Portuguese coach and is expected to be a starter.
Mourinho sees the French international as a midfielder without a direct replacement in the squad.
For Jose, Tchouameni provides something that none of the other midfielders in the squad do – a more defensive and positional presence, combining his tactical discipline with considerable physical strength.
His ability to shield the defence and provide balance could be particularly important for a Real Madrid side that want to defend aggressively and attack quickly in transition.
For that reason, his absence at the start of the campaign has not changed the manager’s view of his importance.
Mourinho faces a midfield selection problem
The challenge for Mourinho now is finding a way to fit all the pieces together.
If Tchouameni is guaranteed a starting position and Valverde is considered untouchable as captain, the obvious consequence is that Bernardo could find himself starting from the bench.
The summer arrival had been given an important role in helping Real Madrid control and distribute possession from deeper positions.
However, with Tchouameni and Valverde both occupying midfield places, Mourinho cannot accommodate everyone in the same lineup.
How the Portuguese coach manages that competition will be interesting to see in the coming weeks.
