Zinedine Zidane’s decision to quit Real Madrid just five days after leading the team to their third consecutive Champions League title has thrown the Spanish giants into turmoil.
Los Blancos president Florentino Perez was obviously stunned by the decision, which Zidane delivered with a notably open and revealing news conference on Thursday lunchtime, and now the Bernabeu top brass have to work hard and work fast to identify and pursue their preferred successor to the Frenchman. The Spanish media was also taken aback, conveying a reaction of amazement: an article on Marca’s website claimed the news has “hit the dressing room like a bomb”, while El Mundo stated” the club have never believed there could be a better captain for such a difficult ship”.
Is his resignation a surprise? Yes. The news clearly came as a total shock to Perez, who spent much of the news conference sitting at Zidane’s side with a vacant expression on his face, as though he was struggling to believe what he was hearing.
Perez announced that Zidane had only told him about his decision the previous day, and the outgoing coach revealed that the only member of the playing squad he had spoken to personally was club captain Sergio Ramos.
Zidane was unusually and commendably honest about his reasons for quitting, admitting he did not see clearly how he could keep the team winning next season, and repeatedly stating his belief that the team needs a “new discourse”as well as underlining the intense pressures and demands of the role.
He did not reveal when he had come to the conclusion that he should leave, but there were a couple of clues: when he was asked to identify his worst moment in charge, Zidane had no hesitation in pinpointing the Copa del Rey exit against Leganes in January.
And the last question he faced - before exiting the room and the club to a warm round of applause - asked Zidane whether winning his third consecutive Champions League title a few days ago convinced him that now was the right time to go. Zidane smiled ruefully, and responded: “Maybe. Maybe, yes.”
A number of names are being circulated as potential replacements for Zidane, with the most heavily-touted candidate being Mauricio Pochettino.
It is believed the Tottenham boss would be Perez’s first option: he has admired Pochettino since his time in La Liga in charge of Espanyol, a club with whom Real have friendly relations, and he was greatly impressed with the London side’s performances when they went head-to-head in the Champions League this season.
The stumbling block is that Pochettino signed a new five-year contract with Spurs just a few days ago, and the Argentine may be reluctant to jump ship so soon after committing himself to the club - even though there have been rumours that his new deal contains a get-out clause if Madrid come calling.
In that case, another obvious candidate is soon-to-be-outgoing Chelsea coach Antonio Conte, but the fiery Italian might be a bit too much of a loose cannon for Perez, who would prefer to employ someone a little easier to control - and someone with a more attacking philosophy.
Germany boss Joachim Low is also being linked with the job, but that appears unlikely as he recently signed a new four-year contract and has shown no sign of being unhappy in his current role, while Perez could go left of centre and attempt to hijack Chelsea’s move for ex-Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri, or even attempt to lure back Jose Mourinho from Manchester United.
However,there is no escaping the fact that whoever Perez picks for his next coach will have some major issues to confront, with the futures of Ronaldo and Gareth Bale being at the top of the list.
Conversely, the prospect of Neymar being added to the squad will be another big consideration, with reports in the Spanish media repeatedly insisting the Brazilian star is eager to manoeuvre an exit from Paris St-Germain this summer. -bbcsport