Beating Liverpool in Kyiv gave Real Madrid their 13th UCL title but that did not ensure the future of their manager Zinedine Zidane, who parted ways with the club just days after winning the trophy. The French mastermind helped the club to the UCL title in his first half-season in charge at the Santiago Bernabeu and repeated the feat in each of the next two years, also helping them to a league title this time.
However, that was not enough for him to stay at the club for another year as an alleged difference of opinion with Florentino Perez meant that he decided to quit the club before the start of the new season.
This has pushed Real Madrid into the transfer market in search of a new boss, and unlike before, they do not have too many options that fit their bill. But one name now doing the rounds is Andre Villas-Boas.
Having won league titles in Portugal and Russia, the Portuguese manager failed in two stints in England with London clubs Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, failing to win any silverware in his time in the country. His two-year stint in Russia paid dividends with three trophies but he decided to move to China with Shanghai SIPG, where he introduced the league to his brand of football. He won 59% of his games in China and has evidently improved a number of players in the past and is now on Real Madrid’s radar.
Reports in Spain now suggest that the 40-year old could be given the chance to manage Real Madrid this summer. He has been out of a job since leaving the Chinese league in November and will reportedly jump at a chance to take charge of the club at the Spanish capital.
But at just 40, he has no real experience at the highest level and his appointment will be a genuine risk for Perez. The Real Madrid President is notoriously known for having no patience when it comes to his managers and Villas-Boas is not expected to get too much time to establish himself at Bernabeu.
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However, what works in his favour is the way he demands respect from even the best in the game. He wants his players to play in a system that gets the best out of all involved. It leaves no space for individual players to run away with accolades, something a team like Real Madrid will benefit from.
Appointing Villas-Boas will keep Perez in charge of most of the dealings at the club, which could be a reason for this link. But do you think the former Chelsea boss is the right man for the Spanish giants?
