Real Madrid contacted a new coach - one of Messi's best friends
Translated from Croatian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- Real Madrid is facing a season without any trophies for the second consecutive year, leading to significant pressure on the club.
- Coach Álvaro Arbeloa is expected to leave at the end of the season after failing to stabilize results or compete for titles.
- The club is reportedly considering Lionel Scaloni, the current coach of the Argentine national team and a close friend of Lionel Messi, as a potential replacement.
The article from Večernji List (Croatia) reports on the dire situation at Real Madrid, a club accustomed to winning trophies. The prospect of a second consecutive season without a single title is a major blow to the club's prestige and ambitions. This failure has inevitably led to speculation about changes in leadership, with coach Álvaro Arbeloa widely expected to depart.
A season without a single trophy for Real Madrid, and for the second year in a row, represents a serious failure, especially in the context of the club's ambitions and standards.
Arbeloa, who took over in January, has struggled to make an impact, with the team faltering in all major competitions. Their exits from the Copa del Rey against lower-division Albacete and from the Champions League quarterfinals against Bayern Munich underscore the team's inconsistency and lack of defensive solidity.
What makes this situation particularly intriguing from a Croatian perspective, given the prominence of Luka Modrić in Real Madrid's recent history, is the club's reported interest in Lionel Scaloni. Scaloni, the successful coach of Argentina, is known as a close friend of Lionel Messi, Real Madrid's arch-rival. This potential appointment, while bringing a World Cup-winning coach to the helm, also presents a unique narrative – a coach closely associated with Barcelona's greatest icon potentially managing Real Madrid.
Scaloni leads Argentina from 2018 and in that period has achieved exceptional results, including winning the Copa América 2021 and the World Cup 2022.
The article also touches upon Scaloni's lack of club-level coaching experience, a factor that could be crucial in the high-pressure environment of Real Madrid. While he has achieved remarkable success with the national team, the day-to-day demands of managing a top club are different. This strategic gamble highlights Real Madrid's desperation to return to winning ways, even if it means considering unconventional choices.
Unlike most candidates for the Real bench, Scaloni lacks experience managing clubs on a daily basis, which is often a decisive factor in this environment.
Originally published by Večernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.