Real Madrid: 5 burning questions from the humiliation at Alcoyano

Real Madrid suffered a deflating defeat and an early Copa del Rey exit on Wednesday night, as they fell 2-1 to third-division side Alcoyano after extra time.

Zinedine Zidane gave some young players opportunities in this match, including goalkeeper Andriy Lunin and Castilla defender Victor Chust. But for the most part, he was let down by backup players whom he would normally expect better performances from.

Let’s ask five burning questions in the aftermath of this horrible loss.

What does the future hold for Zinedine Zidane?

There are three possible outcomes for Zinedine Zidane after this humbling defeat to Alcoyano. He could be fired, he could resign himself, or he could stick around until the end of the season (and then his position would be reevaluated).

Based on Real’s current issues and recent reporting, it seems as if Zidane will not be fired after this Copa del Rey loss. Though, honestly, I’d understand if Florentino Perez decided to make the decision. And I’d also understand if Zidane, finding it hard to juggle the demands of balancing youth with winning in the present amidst the high pressures at this club, decided to step away.

The criticisms of Zidane are justified, even as they can sometimes be unfair, considering he is not the only one to blame. It is a difficult situation to evaluate, but Real Madrid must be patient and pragmatic first.