Real Madrid: Ranking the three candidates to replace Zinedine Zidane

1. Raul

Raul is a riskier choice than Max Allegri, but I’d love Real Madrid to go for a big reward and hire their youth coach. Like Zinedine Zidane, Raul is a club legend who has cut his teeth in Real’s youth system, and he’s done a phenomenal job with the talent coming up through La Fabrica.

Not only did Raul win the UEFA Youth League last season, but he’s gotten Castilla close to promotion despite having to cede a lot of key players to the first team.

Victor Chust, Miguel Gutierrez, Antonio Blanco, Marvin Park, and Sergio Arribas are the handful of Castilla players who have made first-team appearances for Los Merengues this season. All of them have impressed, particularly with their composure. Arribas, Gutierrez, and Blanco all look like the real deal, unbothered by the pressure. Gutierrez and Blanco are already good enough to be role players in the squad, with Gutierrez showing more quality than Marcelo in recent matches.

Raul has serious interest from Eintracht Frankfurt, so Real Madrid could miss out on the legendary striker’s managerial prowess if they don’t pounce on him now. Perhaps Raul could benefit from a spell in the Bundesliga and then return to Real later, but I’d love it if Los Blancos gambled on his upside. He could be exactly what the players need, especially up-and-coming talents. Imagine if Raul could be the one to unlock Luka Jovic’s full potential up top.