Real Madrid have some big decisions to mull over this summer when it comes to the direction of the club. Not only will they have to hire a new manager to replace Zinedine Zidane after the club legend decided to step down, but they must also mull over the valid criticisms he made in his letter in Diario AS.
A reunion with Carlo Ancelotti is now a very real possibility. The legendary manager has won three Champions Leagues in his career as well, including La Decima with Los Blancos. He is currently managing Everton, but he could make a move back to Madrid if the club cannot pry Mauricio Pochettino from PSG. Because it seems like they are averse to making the risky plunge for Antonio Conte.
So Ancelotti is no longer a nostalgic fan hypothesis. He is a legitimate candidate to become Real’s head coach, perhaps in lieu of other standout options. Raul has always been mentioned as a name, but it seems as if Real want to go for someone experienced instead of rolling the dice on the Castilla manager with an ambitious transition coming up.
Maybe Ancelotti isn’t the right man for the job himself. Because Raul has newer ideas and showed that he can mold the next generation. Sergio Arribas, Antonio Blanco, and Miguel Gutierrez have been impressive and composed as a trio in their minutes with the first team, and they all worked closely with Raul.
What if Raul and Carlo Ancelotti are hired to Real Madrid’s first team?
But what if there were a way for Real Madrid to get both Ancelotti and Raul?
On El Chiringuito, Josep Pedrerol speculated about the idea of Raul taking the assistant job, becoming second-in-command to the experienced, returning Carlo Ancelotti. Just as Zinedine Zidane was once second in command at Real Madrid before becoming “the guy”.
Raul has the same potential Zidane does and is very much revered by the club, the fans, and the players. He is a true legend. Ancelotti is held in the same regard as a manager, and we know of his humility and willingness to work with others. He is a real leader and a gentleman in the dugout.
The idea of Raul being an assistant was always raised as a possibility, even when Max Allegri seemed like the top option. Ancelotti is more embedded with the club and seems more willing to take on the role of grooming the next great Real Madrid coach than someone who is an “outsider” to the structure and pressures of managing Los Blancos.
I think an Ancelotti and Raul partnership is an interesting way for Real to get two managers for one, so to speak. This is a scenario Madridistas should think carefully about over the next few days. Each passing day makes Ancelotti a more likely option, and Raul is a means of getting both long-term upside and youth development out of a second Ancelotti run as Real’s manager.