Zinedine Zidane next for Real Madrid if Carlo Ancelotti fails

Posted Thursday, March 12, 2015 by The Telegraph

The galactico's galactico to be promoted to head coach and Ancelotti sacked if declining Madrid miss out on La Liga and Champions League

Zinedine Zidane next for Real Madrid if Carlo Ancelotti fails
Next in line: Zinedine Zidane (left) could take over from Carlo Ancelotti

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is ready to hand Zinedine Zidane the chance to replace Carlo Ancelotti as coach at the Bernabeu if the Italian fails to win La Liga or retain the Champions League this season.

Ancelotti, whose track record with AC Milan, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain has earned him admirers among Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi hierarchy, has another season to run on three-year contract with Real after succeeding Jose Mourinho as coach in the summer of 2013.

But despite guiding Real to the club’s tenth European Cup last season, the 55-year-old has endured an uneasy relationship with Perez and faces an uncertain future after failing to negotiate a new contract in the wake of the Champions League final victory against city rivals Atlético Madrid last May.

With Real losing top spot in La Liga to Barcelona at the weekend following a 1-0 defeat against Athletic Bilbao, Tuesday’s 4-3 home defeat against Schalke in the Champions League further weakened Ancelotti’s position at the club.

Zinedine Zidane next for Real Madrid if Carlo Ancelotti fails
Carlo Ancelotti oversees Real Madrid's defeat by Schalke in the Bernabeu

And although Real overcame the German outfit to qualify for the quarter-finals 5-4 on aggregate, Perez is understood to be ready to dismiss Ancelotti in the summer and install Zidane as head coach in his place, with Fernando Hierro as assistant.

Zidane, who inspired Real to Champions League glory in 2002 during his five-year spell as one of the club’s most celebrated ‘galacticos’, was handed a special adviser role at the Bernabeu in November 2010 before being elevated to sporting director the following year.

And after being appointed as assistant to Ancelotti following his arrival from PSG two years ago, Zidane was named coach of Real’s second team, Castilla, at the start of this season before successfully defeating attempts by the Spanish football federation to remove him from the post due to his lack of the necessary coaching qualifications.

With Zidane currently in the process of securing his full coaching qualifications, the path would be clear for the former France captain to assume the head coach position should Perez dismiss Ancelotti at the end of the season.

Zinedine Zidane next for Real Madrid if Carlo Ancelotti fails
Zinedine Zidane scores a brilliant volley in the 2002 Champions League final

Ancelotti’s likely availability would place pressure on a number of Premier League managers this summer, with the Italian one of just managers, alongside Liverpool’s Bob Paisley, to win three European Cups.

Manchester United attempted to lure Ancelotti from Real last year following the dismissal of David Moyes, but ultimately turned to Louis van Gaal after it became clear he would be staying in Madrid.
And with Manuel Pellegrini under increasing pressure at City due to the prospect of the club ending the season empty-handed, Ancelotti’s Champions League track record, and his League and FA Cup double success with Chelsea, has placed him among the candidates to replace the Chilean.

While City chief executive Ferran Soriano and director of football Txiki Begiristain favour a coach in keeping with their Barcelona-influenced philosophy, Ancelotti’s support among the Abu Dhabi-led board could yet prove significant.