Spanish newspapers are the simplest and sometimes the most powerful source of up-to-date information about club football in the country, especially in Madrid.
Barcelona withdrew from the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, but whispers of discontent over the defeat were in stark contrast to talk of a “revolution” required of Real Madrid after being eliminated from Europe’s top table.
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Barcelona are on track to win back-to-back titles on the domestic front, softening criticism over their Champions League exit at the hands of Atletico Madrid.
However, Real are nine points behind Barça in La Liga, heading into their second season without a title, and are facing a turmoil that is not helped by the fact that they have already changed managers once this season.
As record Champions League winners, Real at least achieved a big win in Munich, but it is still unlikely to keep caretaker manager Alvaro Arbeloa as caretaker manager, replacing Xabi Alonso, who was sacked in January.
Arbeloa’s side took the lead three times at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday and had every chance to break through after digging deep and exchanging blows in a thrilling clash with the Bavarian giants until Eduardo Camavinga’s red card in the 86th minute.
Bayern’s late double gave Madrid a 4-3 loss that night, with Arbeloa saying his team gave their “soul and life”, but they lost 6-4 on aggregate.
“An honorable exit is neither consolation nor avoids a new revolution,” Spanish newspaper As wrote after the heady night.
Madrid’s Viva La Real Revolution
The revolution is likely to cost Mr. Arbeloa his job. It was perhaps a long time coming that he would join the likes of Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho as an internally promoted coach at Los Blancos.
Los Blancos are now bracing for more pain and possible changes in the coming weeks and months.
“I have always tried to help the club in the best way I can and that will continue until the last day,” Arbeloa told reporters after the match.
“I’m not worried at all (about my future) and I fully understand the decision the club makes.
“I’m a club man. If I get injured today, it’s not for me. It’s for Real Madrid, because we won’t win the 16th (Champions League) this year.”
Under Real president Florentino Perez, mistakes are rarely tolerated without someone paying a price.
When Arbeloa was promoted in January, Madrid did not specify the length of his contract, suggesting there was no long-term guarantee.
The manager has found it difficult to motivate his team in La Liga, winning just 13 of the 21 games he has been in charge of.
In their first match in charge, Real’s superstars were eliminated in the Copa del Rey by second-tier Albacete.
Still, his bold, attacking line-up against Bayern almost paid off.
Arbeloa left Camavinga and Thiago Pitarci on the bench and opted for an attacking midfield trio of Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde and Turkish playmaker Arda Güler, who scored twice.
As it turned out, it wasn’t enough and Real will likely fail to win silver medals in two consecutive seasons for the first time since the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 seasons.
How to solve Real’s problems like Mbappé, Vinicius and Bellingham
Perhaps Madrid’s biggest problem, one that neither Ancelotti nor Alonso’s short stint in charge last season could solve, is how to fit Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior and Bellingham into the same team without disrupting the balance.
Arbeloa may argue that Bayern’s second leg showed potential, with England international Bellingham impressing, Mbappe on the scoresheet and Vinicius hitting the woodwork.
However, the energy and effort the star trio put into this match was beyond their usual performances this season and is unlikely to be replicated on a better occasion.
Needless to say, the team still conceded four goals.
Real’s anger at Camavinga’s pivotal decision to send him off and his courageous display could help Arbeloa, but only time will tell if it is enough to save his job.
There is no obvious replacement for Perez.
The final weeks of the La Liga season could affect Arbeloa’s outlook, including Real’s performance in the Clasico against Barcelona on May 10, when the Catalans could win the title.
It may be a tough road until the end of May, but Arbeloa said the team has “no other choice” but to keep going and protect the club’s badge as long as he is in charge.
Who is the best candidate to become Real Madrid’s new manager?
Since leaving Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp has been one of the names on Real’s lips after their agonizing wait for Premier League glory.
The German was immediately named as a candidate to replace Alonso in January, before Arbeloa took over as interim manager.
Klopp enjoyed seven successful years at Borussia Dortmund before being appointed as Liverpool manager in 2015.
The 58-year-old leaves Anfield with Premier League and Champions League titles, the former giving the Merseyside club their first success on that front in 30 years.
Klopp described reports in March that he had already been contacted by Madrid about a summer acquisition as “nonsense”, but the rumors are likely to continue until a new appointment is made.
Zinedine Zidane maintains links with all top clubs across Europe and has already spent two spells at Real.
The former France international midfielder won three consecutive Champions Leagues in his first spell between 2016 and 2018.
His second stint from 2019 to 2021 was not very successful, but considering the dark days of soul-searching ahead, perhaps only one of the club’s greatest galácticos can instantly put a smile back on the faces of the Real faithful.
Didier Deschamps has enjoyed an incredible 14-year tenure as France manager, and will lead a team that won two World Cups this summer.
One of those titles was won under Deschamps in 2018 and the other as a player in 1998, but even if he wins another one this summer, it certainly won’t mean his international tenure will last an unusually long time.
The former midfielder has club experience at Monaco, Juventus and Marseille, but his achievements with the French national team have cemented him as one of the game’s top coaches.
Another name on the table is Aston Villa’s Spanish manager Unai Emery. He is the man who took the English club from mid-table obscurity at best to unlikely contenders to win the Premier League. Then there’s Massimiliano Allegri, who led Juventus to five consecutive league titles and the Champions League final in his first spell at the Turin-based club.
The 58-year-old Italian’s second spell was less than stellar, ending after just two seasons – in fact, just two days after his success in the Italian Cup.
Allegri’s experience in the game fits the usual requirements of a Real manager with vast qualifications and success behind him.
Whether it’s the Italians, the Spaniards, the Germans, or one of the two aforementioned Frenchmen, it seems that revolutionary change is really needed in Madrid.
