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5 possible replacements for Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid

By Harry De Cosemo

MADRID, SPAIN - OCTOBER 02: Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane emerges form the tunnel for the start of the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and SD Eibar at estadio Santiago Bernabeu on October 2, 2016 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
MADRID, SPAIN - OCTOBER 02: Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane emerges form the tunnel for the start of the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and SD Eibar at estadio Santiago Bernabeu on October 2, 2016 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images) /
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SWANSEA, WALES – MAY 15: Manuel Pellegrini, manager of Manchester City looks on prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Swansea City and Manchester City at the Liberty Stadium on May 15, 2016 in Swansea, Wales. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
SWANSEA, WALES – MAY 15: Manuel Pellegrini, manager of Manchester City looks on prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Swansea City and Manchester City at the Liberty Stadium on May 15, 2016 in Swansea, Wales. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) /

2. Manuel Pellegrini

A former inhabitant of the hot seat after a year in charge back in 2009/10, the Chilean was unlucky to lose his job in favour of Jose Mourinho after finishing second in the league behind Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona despite racking up 94 points.

Currently in charge of Hebei China Fortune following his departure from Manchester City, Pellegrini may not be an obvious choice, but he has unfinished business in the Spanish capital.

His previous reign summed up all that has been wrong with the club’s approach in recent years. While there are worse jobs in the world than working with a squad which included Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso, who all joined the same summer he did, the fact he had no say in signing those players was ominous to say the least.

At that point, Real would have done anything to halt arguably the most successful stint in Barcelona’s history, whatever the cost. There was no time to bed in, and failure to do so cost Pellegrini dearly, despite a more than respectable return in his debut season.

In England, Pellegrini showed he wasn’t always assertive enough in the big games, something he would have to work on in Madrid. But his work in Spain with Villarreal and Malaga, not to mention winning the Premier League title in his first year at City, make him a viable option, just like the last time.

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