Real Madrid’s latest defeat at Mallorca has some questioning Zidane’s future at the helm.
Zinedine Zidane has not enjoyed his second stint at Real Madrid as his future at the club now comes into question with Jose Mourinho reportedly tapped should the Frenchman be dismissed.
According to Goal, Zidane is entering “must-win” territory as members of the board are beginning to lose their patience with the lack of results.
The 1-0 loss at Mallorca was their first defeat of the season but it saw them fall to second place in the table behind Barcelona. Despite it being their first loss, Real Madrid have yet to look like a complete team with opponents no longer afraid to have a go at them in the Santiago Bernabeu.
Much of the same can be said when it comes to the Champions League with Los Blancos only picking up one point out of six; losing to PSG and drawing with Club Brugge in the process.
The possibility of Jose Mourinho returning has been a rumor going back to last season after Julen Lopetegui was fired and during Santiago Solari‘s caretaker tenure before announcing the return of Zidane.
With things not going as expected, Real Madrid are being careful to not let Zidane’s status as a club legend to blind their eyes to poor results and performances.
Diario AS compiled a list of what is ailing both Zidane and Madrid with player performance and a lack of depth as the main culprits. One could argue that those fall under the purview of the board and its planning rather than the manager.
Recall that Zidane wanted to move on several players, namely James Rodriguez and Gareth Bale, prior to the start of the season but Real Madrid were unable to find suitors who would pay what the club were asking.
Coincidentally, he’s had to rely on both of them to get them out of trouble.
The squad needed to be refreshed and it simply was not. The midfield is severely lacking in alternatives with Zidane still relying on Modric, Casemiro, and Kroos. Neither Luka Jovic or Eden Hazard are settling into the team, and a goalie controversy has emerged given Courtois’ recent struggles.
If Florentino Perez decides to keep Zidane and bring in reinforcements during the winter transfer window, he is going to have a tough go of it. Christian Eriksen, a player they have long been rumored to be interested in, is set to leave Tottenham at the end of the season but PSG are now reportedly interested and willing to pay a transfer fee to Spurs to acquire him.
Everyone seemed to be in high spirits when Zidane was announced given the tumultuous 2018/19 season. But the honeymoon stage is over and if things do not improve, and quickly, the club will once again turn to a familiar face to right the ship.