The Managerial Show: Episode 11-- Real Madrid's coaching job

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In 2010, Real Madrid's coach Jose Mourinho asked for Zinedine Zidane to be the players' special adviser. Zidane got the job!

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Zidane later became Real's assistant coach in 2013-14 under Rafa Benitez.

After that season, the Frenchman went on to becoming Real Madrid's second team head coach, Real Madrid Castilla. Where he coaches his son Enzo Zidane.

Coach Zizou:

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 Meanwhile, Real Madrid's current coach Rafa Benitez has been under sack-threat this season. It was even reported that Cristiano Ronaldo will leave the club if Benitez doesn't get fired. 

"Cristiano Ronaldo, the superstar of Madrid and top scorer in La Liga in 2015, reportedly told team-mates in the dressing room following the loss that 'either he goes, or I go,'" writes journalist Jack de Menezes on Independent ensuing Real Madrid's 4-0 loss to Barcelona on Nov. 23. 

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With Benitez under-pressure and Zidane coaching the B-team, this speculation started around Oct-Nov: Zidane is going to replace Benitez.  

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Zidane eased that pressure on Nov 22 saying: "I'm the Castilla coach and Benitez is the first team coach. Things are in proper place the way they are at the moment."

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Los Merengues lose to Villareal on Dec 13, this put more pressure on Benitez. The Zidane-is-going-to-coach-Madrid starts growing again. 

Elsewhere, Chelsea's manager Jose Mourinho is sacked by Chelsea on Dec 17 (Episode 6). Soon after that the Portuguese is linked to move back to Real Madrid (Episode 8).

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Real Madrid's president Florentino Perez subs in to deny all speculations on Dec 18. 

"Nobody can predict the future but right now he [Mourinho] is not going to come to Madrid," the president said.

He later added: " We have a great coach. Rafa is the person that we have chosen and we have to let him work with the collaboration of the players. It's not true that the players don't get along with Benitez, I have spoken with them. Zidane will not replace him." 

But Perez is impressed with what Zidane has been doing with the B team, he even said: "He will be the trainer of Real Madrid in the future. You can see it."

Benitez ain't going nowhere for now. Case closed. Party!

   Photo taken on Dec 23rd.

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Not so fast, Luis Figo got something to say this about all this. 

"So if you want to be a coach and he's now coaching the second team... I think in his head it's the objective and the goal to one day to coach the first team. So I don't know. It's always depending on the opportunities-- if they give you the responsibilities or not."

Do you think that opportunity will come anytime soon with Benitez's situation, Figo?

"Madrid is a club where you don't have time. You always have to win. So it depends on the people who takes the decision if they're going to give him [Benitez] more time or not."

That same day, Real Madrid senior players voted on this issue. The results were: Zidane 72%, Victor Fernandez [former Deportivo de La Coruna manager] 15%, Rafa Benitez 13%. If Perez keeps his decision to hold on to Benitez, "the club's dressing room will rally behind Zidane as the head coach," writes Tom Sunderland on Bleacher Report.

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Somehow, two-timed Real Madrid manager Fabio Capello was linked to replace Benitez too-- poor Rafa-- on Dec 26. "Is this a joke?" Capello said before cracking up laughing.

"No, no, no. I don't want to talk about this because it's a joke. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year," the former England manger added.

Sources: goal, espnfc, bleacher report.