Raúl talks about potential first team role

The departure of Zinedine Zidane this week has left the media and fans alike searching for his potential successor. The club appear to be willing to bide their time when it comes to seeking out the new manager, but some names have been put forward already as strong suitors. Current Castilla manager and Real Madrid legend Raúl González Blanco was one of the first names whispered, and after the season he has had with the reserve side - many would think rightly so. Castilla entered an abnormal Segunda División B season as the league looked to use this time period to transition into a new structure for next year. They managed to make it through to every phase of the season, despite facing some tremendous hurdles such as injuries, COVID-19 cases and a huge number of first team call-ups. It really was an amazing achievement.

I don’t think it is much of a secret that Raúl would leave Castilla better equipped and prepared for first team management than any of the direct promotions before him (Zidane himself and Santiago Solari). There is a genuine pattern in his favour, as the last four Real Madrid managers (five appointments as Zidane returned) started their coaching careers with Castilla. In March, a lucky student from a University in Madrid managed to arrange an interview with the man himself - and at the time he said that “at the moment I have been a coach for two years, I am in Castilla. I imagine that in the future it could be a goal (to train Real Madrid), but for now I am learning and happy in the team I’m on”. This mindset appeared conclusive, but of course much has happened since that interview - and one can only ponder whether this has at all changed since the news of Zidane’s resignation. Would you like to see him at the helm next season?

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