Following the sacking of Xabi Alonso, Real Madrid announced Castilla manager Alvaro Arbeloa as their interim coach, a move that for some, raised eyebrows. His tenure got off to a less-than-ideal start with a Copa del Rey elimination to Segunda Division side Albacete, but since then, he has been showing what he can bring to the table with Los Blancos.
Arbeloa has won his last two matches, overseeing his first La Liga win with a 2-0 victory over Levante and his first Champions League victory in an awe-inspiring 6-1 victory over AS Monaco. Real have scored 10 goals and conceded just four in his first three games in charge, and if the team continues at this pace, he could be in line for the permanent role in the summer.
However, despite the impressive showings, Arbeloa faces an uphill battle against more established managers for the permanent Madrid job. A number of big-name managers have been linked since Alonso's dismissal, with one name coming up more than others.
As expected, Jurgen Klopp's name has been most linked to Madrid in the hunt for their next manager, and everyone can understand why. His resume at Liverpool speaks for itself and is exactly why he is in the running to be the next man at the helm. However, it seems the club could go down another route, given Klopp's current role and his desire to stay in it.
Arbeloa's Real Madrid future revealed amid Klopp refusal
As reported by AS, in recent weeks, Klopp's name has resurfaced strongly, but once again, and this has happened many times before, the option has been put on hold for the time being. With the club's message being clear, it's Arbeloa's turn to show what he brings to the table.
Klopp himself has publicly stated his desire to stay in his current role as Head of Global Soccer at the Red Bull clubs, pretty much ruling himself out of contention:
"I am in a place, as a person, where I am completely at peace, and I am where I want to be. I don't want to be anywhere else."
As a result Real can seemingly rule the German out as potential option when the summer rolls around, and that could play perfectly into Arbeloa's hands. Through three games he's shown what he can bring to the table and once he's given more time and even a potential summer transfer window to bring in players for his system, he could prove to be the right choice to be the next long-term manager at Los Blancos.