Key Takeaways
- Alvaro Arbeloa has a 64% win rate, significantly lower than predecessor Xabi Alonso’s 74%.
- Florentino Perez prefers a ‘conductor’ who manages egos over a tactical ‘organiser’.
- Jose Mourinho is a wildcard option, though Mauricio Pochettino and Massimiliano Allegri remain strong contenders.
Real Madrid are facing a difficult period. The club has crashed out of the Champions League. In La Liga, they sit closer to third-placed Villarreal than leaders Barcelona. Because of this poor form, questions about manager Alvaro Arbeloa’s future are growing louder.
Arbeloa took charge in January when Xabi Alonso left. However, his results have been worse than those of the previous manager. Alonso left the Bernabeu with an impressive win ratio of 74%. Arbeloa has managed five fewer league games than Alonso, yet he has already lost more matches. His win percentage stands at just 64%.
A shock defeat to second-tier side Albacete in the Copa del Rey also damaged his position. This loss came only two days after he started the job.
If the club sack Arbeloa, several names appear as potential replacements. One is former boss Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese coach currently manages Benfica. He previously led Real from 2010 to 2013, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.
Football expert Guillem Balague spoke to BBC Sport. He explained why club president Florentino Perez likes Mourinho. However, he believes this choice is unlikely for now.
The club has no confirmed manager for next season. Arbeloa has one year left on his contract. But it is clear that Perez is looking elsewhere for a new boss. The president sees some positives in Arbeloa’s work. But at Real Madrid, results control decisions.
To understand who they will hire, you must first understand how Perez thinks. The president does not worry about playing style. He does not care about tactical identity or whether the team presses high or defends deep. He wants to win. More importantly, he wants a manager who can handle people. This means controlling big egos, star players and the dressing room. For him, the perfect coach is like a conductor.
There is often tension at the club between two ideas. On one side, Jose Angel Sanchez argues that Real need an organiser. He thinks the club needs a coach with strict tactics who can bring order to a talented but chaotic squad. This idea brought managers like Rafa Benitez, Julen Lopetegui and Alonso. None stayed long. The president never fully supported them. When results were bad, he removed them.
On the other side sits Perez’s own choice. He wants a grand manager. This is a leader who commands respect just by being there. Think of Zinedine Zidane. Think of Carlo Ancelotti, who had two spells. This is the model Perez uses when he loses patience. Now that Alonso has gone, Perez’s view has won again. The names being discussed show this.
The name making headlines is Jose Mourinho. People at the club say he is not the only option. The idea of Mourinho comes mainly from Perez. It also comes from the Portuguese manager himself. Perez likes to test ideas to see how people react.
Mourinho has a contract with Benfica until 2027. He can leave it. Whatever he says in public, sources say he really wants to return to the Bernabeu. His actions during the Gianluca Prestianni incident in the Benfica versus Real Madrid match did not upset fans at the club. This includes the president.
This would be the ultimate wildcard. The president would choose someone he knows. This person can control the dressing room. A second spell for this manager would send a strong message. However, sources say this will only happen if other options fail.
Mauricio Pochettino is also in the discussion. But there is one problem. He is managing the United States national team for the World Cup. What if the US team does badly? Or what if they go far in the tournament? Then he cannot start until July. By then, pre-season has already begun.
But the Argentine knows key people at the club well. He has been a candidate before. People like him a lot. They know his work at Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. He worked with different players and owners. Pochettino has wanted this job for a long time. Inside the club, they think he is a strong candidate.
Another name that fits is Didier Deschamps. His contract with France lasts until the World Cup. After that, he will be free. But again, the summer competition makes the timing difficult. Deschamps manages big stars with calm authority. He does not want to impose a big football philosophy. Also, with Kylian Mbappe and many French players at Real, there is a natural link.
Massimiliano Allegri of AC Milan is another serious option. He is similar to Ancelotti. He is Italian football royalty. He has experience with star players. He does not focus on high-pressing tactics. Real, or rather Perez, have been interested before. His name keeps appearing inside the club. People who know Serie A say that Luka Modric could return with him. The 40-year-old Croatian midfielder left the Bernabeu to join Milan last summer. Both men have denied interest. But others say the idea has been discussed at the Bernabeu.
Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is also mentioned. His name is important. But there are doubts. He likes to control things. He demands a specific style. He changes clubs to match his ideas. This is exactly what Perez does not want. For now, Klopp seems to excite fans outside the club more than people inside it.