Carlo Ancelotti’s dismissal from Real Madrid has opened the door for a new manager to take over one of the most prestigious jobs in all of Europe. Some debate whether the pink slip was a bit of a rash decision but when you’ve got the talent and resources of Real Madrid, second place simply isn’t good enough.
While there is a long list of candidates that would love to have the job, we can narrow it down based on what we know at this point. Here is a look at the four most likely candidates to replace Ancelotti as the next manager of Real Madrid.
Rafa Benitez
A good friend of Real Madrid’s Director General Jose Angel Sanchez, Benitez is still very highly regarded in Spain. At least on paper, he appears to meet all of the criteria to succeed Ancelotti. Benitez is an excellent game manager but whether or not he succeeds in getting the job could come down to whether or not the club feels he has what it takes to manage all of the different egos and high pressure situations that come with it. There are few managers available with the experience that Benitez can offer but he hasn’t delivered quality results in a long time. Yes, he won the Champs League with Liverpool in 2005 and the FA Cup in 2006, but that’s 10 years ago. He did lead Napoli to a credible fourth-place finish this season but he’s lacking hardware over the last decade.
Michel
A former player at Real Madrid that understands the culture around the team, Michel is considered one of the best potential replacements for Ancelotti. Michel has done an excellent job at Olympiakos as they finished atop the Greek Super League table this season 12 points clear of second place. However, he is a free agent right now and there is no doubt the Spanish giants have been in contact with him about filling the coaching vacancy. The thinking is that Zinedine Zidane will be groomed as one of the next coaches of the first team but until that time, Michel has to be considered among the best options to lead the first team.
Unai Emery
Sevilla’s manager has helped the club achieve some impressive success with consecutive Europa League winners, which is a good start. The team also finished in fifth place this season, which is considered better than what was expected, so that gives him more credit. He has experience managing in La Liga, so it should be no surprise that he is in the mix to take over at Real Madrid. The one consistent drawback seems to be that some experts question whether Emery will be able to manage the larger egos at Real Madrid but if the club feels comfortable that he can handle that aspect, he will undoubtedly be a strong candidate for the job.
Jogi Low
Jose Mourinho appears unlikely to leave the Chelsea Blues anytime soon and despite rumors that Jurgen Klopp is being considered for this post, it’s a different German that is more likely to be offered the job. We see Low as the much more likely candidate as Klopp looks fairly comfortable with Borussia Dortmund. Low has plenty of experience both at the club level and on the world stage and his World Cup win could help him secure the job. Real Madrid considered Low back when Mourinho left for Chelsea and Ancelotti took over, so it wouldn’t be a surprise at all if they went back to him to see if he would be interested in the job. There is an obvious conflict with his current contract with Germany and it would be hard to see him walk out on them this close to the 2016 Euro Cup, but Low has all of the criteria of what Real Madrid is looking for so he remains a dark horse candidate.
