Thursday's news that Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane is stepping down brings forward one important question -- who is going to replace him in the Spanish capital? There are plenty of names circulating, from logical choices to some bafflers when it comes to the odds. Let's take a look, first at the choices that make the most sense:
Mauricio Pochettino
No language barrier for the Argentine manager, who has experience coaching in Spain with Espanyol. He's a highly-rated tactician who has done wonders at Tottenham, putting them in contention for the top four every year. He also beat Real Madrid in the Champions League group stage last season, giving the Real top guns a look at what he can do with a much weaker roster. He's passionate, charismatic and this wouldn't be a job too big for him.
Guti
Guti falls under the Zidane-like category because he would be getting the Real job in his first top gig. Like Zidane before the joined the top team, he is coaching in the Real system. He played all but one year of his career at Real and knows the club like the back of his hand. It would be an easy transition, but he'd be under pressure right away to deliver like Zidane did, which is going to be nearly impossible.
Antonio Conte
If Conte is done at Chelsea, he could be an option at Real. He's a fine manager who demands the best out of his team. His wild sideline antics may not mesh well in Spain, but if they dealt with Jose Mourinho, they can handle Conte. His flame has died down a bit after this last season with the Blues, but he did get the team the FA Cup trophy to save the season.
Joachim Low
He's kind of like Zidane when it comes to what else can he accomplish? Other than the World Cup, there's nothing bigger to win and he did that in 2014. After this summer's World Cup, he may find himself in a position to think, what is next for me? But can Real Madrid wait till after the summer to bring in a coach? So much goes into building the squad, and it feels like waiting for the proven Low isn't right at the moment.
Maurizio Sarri
Similarly to Pochettino, Sarri has worked wonders at Napoli, having the team on the brink of a Serie A crown this past season. He's organized, demands quick passing and knows how to get the most of his players, a style that would work well in Spain. He's probably got a better chance than guys like Low, but there are better candidates out there. This is, after all, the most important job in club soccer.
Arsene Wenger
Just going to mention Wenger here because he is the favorite to many betting websites, which just blows my mind. As you'll see below, he is at 6/4 odds to get the job, which I really just don't get. I have no question he could do well there, but after such a long spell at Arsenal and with a dip in performance the last several years, it's hard to see them going after him as their first choice. This feels like an English media bias slanting those odds.
According to Sky Bet, the favorites are as follows:
Arsene Wenger - 6/4
Conte - 4/1
Pochettino - 4/1
Guti - 8/1
Sarri - 10/1
Low - 12/1
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