El Clasico Defeat Leaves Lopetegui Hanging

By Max Wise

Julen Lopetegui’s tenure as Real Madrid manager hinges on a balance, following Sunday’s 5-1 humiliation by arch-rivals Barcelona at the Camp Nou.

Lopetegui’s Real Madrid record of four La Liga wins, two draws and three defeats, this season, was already the club’s worst run since 2001.

But, the hefty El Clasico defeat has come to worsen the plight of the Spaniard trainer and put him on the knife edge just after four months in charge of the club.

Reports are already making rounds that Real Madrid are soon going to sack Lopetegui and replace him with former Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte.

News that the Italian tactician has managed to sort out his legal differences with Chelsea over the weekend also gives much credence to the speculation.

Real Madrid are that type of result-oriented club that does not take kindly to poor performances, results, and, most certainly, defeats to Barcelona.

Lopetegui has muddied the scripts for himself and the Los Blancos as he is not doing well against the smaller clubs and proved against Barcelona that he is even worse against the big guns.

The former Spain boss was dismissed by La Roja on the eve of the World Cup, after accepting to replace Zinedine Zidane, who stepped down after leading Los Blancos to three straight UEFA Champions League titles.

Lopetegui was seen by many as a strange choice given his modest record in club football management, having managed FC Porto and Rayo Vallecano.

Barcelona proved to Real Madrid, who strive to be the first in everything club football has got to offer, that they come nowhere near them even without the living legend Messi.

And, that is a bitter pill for the Real Madrid hierarchy and faithfuls to swallow.

The club has always reacted in most instances like this, and the casualties have always been the managers.

Reports were rife in Spain last week that Lopetequi was going to face the sack, following Madrid’s shock home loss to Levante. 

Lopetegui somehow managed to get a reprieve and stayed on as Madrid unconvincingly beat Victoria Plzen in the Champions League.

However, Sunday’s messy loss to Barcelona seems to be the final straw that has broken the camel’s back, and there is no way back for Lopetegui now, he will be sacked.

Real Madrid have lost a goal poacher and match winner in Cristiano Ronaldo, who the club’s President Florentino Perez, allowed to be shipped to Juventus this summer.

It is clear that Real Madrid have lost some steam and bite following Ronaldo’s departure, making Perez one of the key people to blame for the poor showing.

But, Perez is the key amongst the decision making body of the club.

The question that arises, therefore, is would Perez, as human, political, and authoritative as he is, accept the blame, sacrifice himself for it and allow Lopetegi to steer the ship, however, wobbling, until it gets to calm waters? Your guess is as good as mine.