Zinedine Zidane 'to Be Sacked' if Real Madrid Drop Out of Champions League
By Tom Gott
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane could be sacked from his role if his side fail to beat Borussia Monchengladbach in their final Champions League group stage game next Wednesday.
Zidane's side are at risk of failing to qualify for the knockout stages for the first time in the competition's history after again falling to defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk, while their league form - three losses in the last five games - is hardly much better.
According to Cadena SER, Zidane's future will depend on sealing qualification for the last 16, and he could be given the boot if Real fail to win against group leaders Gladbach on Wednesday.
Club officials are understandably concerned about being humiliated by dropping out of the Champions League at such an early stage, given the club's history is largely centred around success in Europe.
ESPN add that Zidane's future is hanging in the balance, although their report suggests that the boss will have three matches to save his job. Real's next three opponents are Sevilla, Gladbach and Atletico Madrid.
The nightmare has extended from the boardroom to the dressing room as Sport believe that the boss no longer feels as though he can trust almost '70%' of his squad.
The most high-profile names to have lost Zidane's faith are Belgian winger Eden Hazard and midfielder Martin Odegaard, and the boss' confidence in Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes and Marco Asensio is also said to be wavering, none of whom he believes are playing well enough to justify a spot in the team.
It's not only the performances of players which is upsetting Zidane. The Frenchman is concerned by the attitudes of defender Marcelo and midfielder Toni Kroos, while his relationship with Isco is believed to be beyond repair.
Despite all the carnage at the Santiago Bernabeu, Zidane is not thought to be worried. His conscience is clear after he warned president Florentino Perez that the squad needed a rebuild last summer, only to see the team unable to spend because of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Club officials hope to avoid having to make any tough decisions, but there are increasing frustrations towards both Real's results on the pitch and Zidane's management of a lot of his players.
A poor run of results over the next three games could see Real eliminated from the Champions League at the group stage for the first time in the competition's history, and the gap between them and La Liga leaders Real Sociedad could hit double figures if results go against them.