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Capello and Fernandez, new candidates to replace Benitez
Rafa Benitez is about to be fired as Real Madrid manager according to the latest reports in Spain, and the list of candidates to replace him keeps growing.
Fabio Capello and Victor Fernandez are among the managers Florentino Perez is considering to hire, Spanish radio station Cadena COPE has revealed.
Capello has already coached Los Blancos twice in his career: in the 1996-97 season, and during the 2006-07 season. Both times, he managed to win the league title. Thus, he has a great reputation at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Italian has been unemployed since July 2015, when he ceased to be the Russia national team manager. Should Florentino Perez offer him the job, Capello would accept without a doubt.
Victor Fernandez also has a good reputation in the club and he is currently the youth system coordinator at Real Madrid, so it would be pretty easy for him to take on Benitez’s job.
Yet, the favourita candidates are still Jose Mourinho and Zinedine Zidane. Spanish press has reported Benitez could be fired at the start of 2016.
Rafa Benitez ‘nearing Real Madrid exit’
Real Madrid manager Rafa Benitez will be dismissed before December 30th, Spanish radio pundit Jose Ramon de la Morena has revealed at his sports show El Larguero.
“Rafa Benitez is not going to sit on the Real Madrid bench next December 30th,” De la Morena has claimed. “It is my opinion, but it is based on the information I have,” he has added.
De la Morena has claimed Benitez will be dismissed, although they will make it look as a resignation: “Benitez will say he is resigning for the good of Real Madrid.”
Yet, Spanish sports newspapers have reported that although the decision of firing Benitez has been made, he will still coach Los Merengues on December 30th against Real Sociedad.
The Los Blancos president is reportedly considering bringing back Jose Mourinho after the Portuguese has been dismissed from Chelsea. Another option is Zinedine Zidane, who is managing the reserves team at the moment.
Speaking about the candidates to take on Benitez’s job, De la Morena believes Zinedine Zidane is not the best option: “He has been almost two years at Real Madrid Castilla, he has been given everything he has asked for and the team is still in the third division. Is he the solution?”
Clasico loss still hurts Rafa Benitez – Zenden
Boudewijn Zenden says Real Madrid boss Rafa Benitez will still be hurting from last month’s 4-0 loss in the Clasico and that feeling will stay for some time.
Real were hammered at home by their fierce rivals and endured the wrath of their fans who jeered and whistled and raised white handkerchiefs – a sign of disapproval in Spain.
Despite losing to Villarreal a couple of weeks ago, Real have generally responded well, winning five on the bounce in the immediate aftermath and recording huge wins over Malmo (8-0) and Rayo Vallecano (10-2). The fans though have remained frosty towards Benitez and once again let their displeasure be known when they trailed to Rayo.
Speaking to Omnisport, Zenden, who played for Barcelona and worked under Benitez at Chelsea, said:”Madrid are driven by results and the defeat to Barca will haunt him for quite some time. It makes it hard for any manager. He has to close the gap to Barcelona. Benitez teams look defensive but how can he be defensive if he’s scored the most goals [in La Liga] this season? He works the players tactically and makes them solid as a unit.”
He also spoke about their time working together at the west London club where Benitez won the Europa League despite being hugely unpopular.
“We won the Europa League and did well in the league. Defeat in the Club World Cup [final, 1-0 to Corinthians] was disappointing. Fixture congestion was a nightmare. He did well despite no-one wanting him there,” he stated.
Jorge Valdano: Mourinho return talk hard to believe
Former Real Madrid sporting director Jorge Valdano says he finds it hard to believe the club would want to sack Rafa Benitez and replace him with ex-boss Jose Mourinho.
The Portuguese is available again after being sacked by Chelsea last week having overseen a run of nine defeats in 16 Premier League games to leave them in a relagation scrap.
And talk in the media has suggested Real president Florentino Perez could bury the hatchet with Mourinho and hire him back after losing patience with Benitez, who many believe has lost the dressing room.
But Valdano, who left Los Blancos in 2011 after losing a power struggle with Mourinho, told El Larguero radio show that Los Blancos should opt for stability rather than take action any time they lose a couple of games.
“It’s hard for me to believe, hard for me to understand. I know Madrid are going through a difficult period but the idea that there must be action every time there is a crisis is not the most advisable. This idea of constant movement is the worst solution possible,” he commented.
And he called on Real to give Benitez time to implement his methods.
“Benitez came in with his methods, his way of doing things. That cannot be done in four months, it needs more time. I do not know if Rafa Benitez will stay or will go, but if he leaves, he will be the least responsible for everything that has happened.
“He is a coach with experience, methods we all know, with a big Madridista feeling, with his own very special way of seeing the game. He needs an adaptation period, so that a team like Madrid can see what the coach wants.”
Raul hints a future role with Real Madrid
Real Madrid legend Raul has hinted he will return to the club as a coach but only once he has completed his badges and the time is right.
The 38-year-old spent 16 hugely successful years in the Spanish capital in his playing days making more than 700 appearances for the club. Until October, the ex-Spain international was the club’s all time leading scorer on 323 goals but has since been overtaken by Ronaldo.
In his time in Madrid, Raul fired the club to three Champions League wins and six La Liga trophies among many others. He also had stints in Germany, the Middle East and the USA after leaving Los Blancos.
Speaking to AS, Raul said: “Will I coach Real Madrid? That’s the main question I get asked these days. But I feel that it’s not the right time at present. I’ve yet to secure my coaching badges and I feel there is plenty of time ahead.
“Real Madrid is my home; the club gave me everything as a player. I’m well-known as a Madrid player but my experiences at Schalke, Qatar and with the Cosmos have also been rewarding. However, Real Madrid is my passion and I am sure at some point in the future I’ll end up back there.”
Manchester United ‘keen on James Rodriguez’
Manchester United are very interested in signing Real Madrid playmaker James Rodriguez, according to reports in Spain.
The Colombian is out of favour under Rafa Benitez at Los Blancos and is said to be one of the players to have had angry confrontations with the boss, who arrived in the summer and whose job is already under serious threat.
According to Jose Luis Sanchez, a respected sports journalist, United want to sign the 24-year-old in the summer.
He told late night sports show El Chiringuito that the Red Devils are “very interested” in signing Rodriguez – who was top scorer and scored the goal of the tournament at the World Cup in Brazil last summer.
United would need to spend around 80 million euros on the playmaker should they wish to be taken seriously – a similar figure to their outlay on Angel di Maria, who only lasted one season at Old Trafford following his move from Real Madrid. The club’s chief executive, Ed Woodward, believes the club would cover the cost of the signing through a huge marketing boost by signing someone of Rodriguez’ stature.
The Colombian could be persuaded to leave the Spanish capital should Benitez remain in charge but with the boss’ future in some doubt, he may well opt to stay beyond his contract which ends in 2020.
Real Madrid target French 17-year-old wonderkid
Real Madrid have reportedly shown an interest in signing Kylian Mbappe, a 17-year-old striker who has impressed many in his first season at Monaco.
French newspaper Le Journal de Dimanche has claimed Los Blancos are planning an offer to bring the young striker to Madrid, although they are facing competition: Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United are also eyeing the Frenchman and could be set to make a bid.
Born in Paris in 1998, Mbappe has made his professional debut this season. He is an athletic and fast striker, similar in a way to Samuel Eto’o. He has also been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo and Anthony Martial.
Mbappe is a confessed admirer of Ronaldo, and that could benefit Real Madrid in the fight to sign him. Like the Portuguese, Mbappe enjoys playing as an inverted left winger who cuts onto his right foot, and he can also play as a pure number 9.
The Frenchman has also made his debut with France youth teams, and is expectd to make it into the first team pretty soon, especially now that Karim Benzema has been banned.
Mesut Ozil: My decision to leave Real Madrid was right
Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil says his decision to leave Real Madrid in 2013 was the right one as his is delighted for life in north London.
The 26-year-old World Cup winner notched his 15th assist of the campaign in the 2-1 win over Manchester City on Monday night and is rapidly closing in on the Premier League record of 20 assists over the course of a season with under half the term played.
When he first joined the Gunners, some members of the press had their reservations about the German. But after helping the club win consecutive FA Cups and helping turn the Emirates Stadium side into genuine title contenders, those critics have been left eating humble pie.
Speaking to Kicker magazine, Ozil said his only down point in his time in London was when he was injured for three months last season.
“The biggest change started when I was injured last year and I changed my diet and started to look at the small details in my life. For example I started to have physiotherapy on my days off and made sure I had a good sleep. That is crucial over here. It is the fastest league in the world and we often play twice a week with no winter break,” he said.
And he added: “My contract runs until 2018, that is for another two and a half years. There is no need to hurry. There are no talks at the moment but I can only say that I am very happy in London and that my decision to come here from Real Madrid was the right one.”