Zinedine Zidane is no longer Real Madrid’s coach. The Frenchman announced that he made this decision because he felt like he could not carry the club to more trophies next season and now Madrid and its president Florentino Perez have to solve three big questions which could very well define the future of the club.
- Who should be Zidane’s replacement? Tottenham Hotspurs Mauricio Pochettino appears to have the edge over Guti or Joachim Löw, according to reports from Spain. If Pochettino can somehow say good-bye to the London-based club after signing a contract extension just weeks ago, he will face heavy pressure with Real Madrid as he will be expected to win either La Liga or the Champions League next season, as crazy as it sounds. Guti seems to have a brilliant future ahead of him and could always be an option if Pochettino fails and is forced to leave.
- What happens with Cristiano Ronaldo? The Portuguese star seemed more inclined towards staying in the Spanish capital during the celebrations at the Bernabeu, but this has not ended just yet. Real Madrid will need to give him a new contract and he is 33 years old. What kind of role will Ronaldo have with the new coach if he stays? It’s possible that Ronaldo decides to leave now that Madrid are facing a rebuild at least with their coach.
- Most of the players might be facing an uncertain future right now. Sure, there are players like Ramos, Varane, Kroos, Modric, Marcelo, Carvajal or Asensio who are here to stay no matter who the coach is. But keep in mind that others like Benzema, Lucas Vazquez, Casemiro, Isco or Benzema were under Zidane’s wing for most of his tenure. Will the new coach think that they are irreplaceable? The same happens with Bale, Llorente or Ceballos, who have a good chance to prove that they deserve a starting spot —or at least huge minutes— under a new coach.