Tuesday 26 May 2015 11:21, UK
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez insists the club will announce a new manager next week after sacking Carlo Ancelotti on Monday.
Just a year after leading the club to their 10th European Cup crown, Italian Ancelotti has lost out after a campaign in which the Club World Cup was their only piece of silverware.
But who will replace Ancelotti? Real Madrid Castilla manager and former player Zinedine Zidane sits far behind Napoli boss Rafael Benitez in the bookies’ eyes, and two Sky Sports Spanish experts have put their case forward for each.
Guillem Balague, speaking on Revista de La Liga directly after the news was announced of Ancelotti’s sacking, says Benitez holds the attention for detail that Ancelotti was lacking, while Terry Gibson said on the La Liga Weekly Podcast that Zidane would be his choice because of his knowledge of Real in their current form.
Guillem Balague – the case for Rafa Benitez
They tend to go from one extreme to the other. Like from Jose Mourinho to Ancelotti. Some of the players will be upset.
What is going to come now is a guy who works on the little details that I think Ancelotti was missing.
No doubt that Benitez is prepared and qualified. A man of languages, who has titles abroad - everybody remembers what he did at Liverpool.
There were other options [for him], but certainly when Real Madrid come calling you have to listen to them.
His agent and Real Madrid have spoken, and in any case, he wants to start talking about it next week.
Terry Gibson – the case for Zinedine Zidane
There is a lot of uncertainty around at the moment about who is the right man. I would go with Zidane.
Benitez seems the obvious one, and I know there has been discussion that Zidane didn’t perform well with Real Madrid B in the third tier of Spanish football, but he had the season when he was Ancelotti’s assistant last year.
He knows football, he knows how to coach, and he knows Real Madrid most importantly.
The question about succeeding with Real Madrid B is that it is young players playing against adults.
Pep Guardiola had a better group of players when he had Barcelona B in the third tier, and that was the only job he had before taking charge at the Nou Camp. So I don’t think he needs two or three years with the B team, or to go to another club.
He has learned everything he needs in a short space of time. The time is right.
Read the lowdown on the runners and riders for the Real Madrid job with @SkyBet here
