When Zinedine Zidane took charge of Real Madrid in January, he was an obvious but risky choice.
It takes a lot for president Florentino Perez to change coach mid-season, but former boss Rafael Benitez was struggling badly in the hot seat.
As one of the few ex-players to take coaching at the highest level seriously, Zidane was seen as a perfect immediate replacement, given his relationship with the very demanding Madridistas. His main issue, though, was a lack of experience after failing to impact on the B team, Castilla. Doubts were cast over his ability to undertake such responsibility in the current situation.
Winning the Champions League and taking Barcelona to the very end in LaLiga should have cemented a long time at the helm, but football doesn’t work like that, especially at Real Madrid.
Perez rules with an iron fist, meaning no one is safe if a run of poor results hits. Carlo Ancelotti ended a 12-year run for a tenth European Cup in 2014, but a year later, he was gone.
Wednesday night’s 3-3 draw with Legia Warsaw only added to the pressure on Zidane’s shoulders. While sacking remains unlikely, rumours will persist, so here are five possible replacements for the Frenchman.