Following the sacking of Xabi Alonso in January, Real Madrid have been drawing up a list of potential candidates to be the next man in charge for the long term at the Bernabeu. One of the names that many have mentioned with the role is current Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, as many view him as the exact kind on manager Real Madrid need right now.
However, as reported by AS Diario (via The Madrid Zone on X) Real Madrid aren't considering Emery as a candidate for the future, as they prefer other candidates, with Jurgen Klopp being the favorite among many at the club.
Real Madrid snub Unai Emery
The Spaniard has worked wonders at the Premier League clubs since being appointed in 2021, with his side currently sitting third in the Premier League, and grabbed a second place finish in the Europa League league phase, automatically securing a place in the next round. Emery's men have grabbed impressive victories over Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Newcastle this season, stamping their claim as the real deal this season.
Emery has been establishing himself as one of the most under-the-radar managers in Europe, potentially setting himself up for a move to a bigger club in the near future, with many believing Real Madrid could be his destination. One of the biggest issues with Real is managing all the egos in the dressing room. That was ultimately what brought down Xabi Alonso, and Arbeloa is doing at alright job at the moment, a more established manager like Emery could be able to manage the egos better, like we saw from Carlo Ancelotti.
Thierry Henry believes things could’ve worked out for Unai Emery at Arsenal if he had more time 👀 pic.twitter.com/DqNEvqOVHl
— Prime Video Sport UK (@primevideosport) October 3, 2024
However, while he's been able to manage the dressing room at Aston Villa, Real is a different animal, and we've seen before how Emery is with an ego-filled dressing room. He was sacked from PSG following the 2017/18 season, the season in which he had to manage the egos of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, and Edinson Cavani, among others.
So while his time at Aston Villa has been impressive, that doesn't mean it will translate to a club like Real Madrid, and as a result, the club isn't looking at the Spaniard to be the man to bring the team back to the top of the mountain. Real is looking for someone who can manage chaos and deliver instant trophies, and Emery is more of a few-year-long project kind of manager, and given the current state of Real , that won't cut it at all.