5 managers who could replace Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid

Let us face it - Zidane was supposed to be Real's Guardiola. That is clearly not the case. While it would be quite harsh to sack Zidane after he has led Los Blancos to two UEFA Champions League crowns apart from the La Liga last season, Real Madrid have sacked managers for much less.

Though it looks like Zizou might still be given more time to get back to winning ways, Madrid seem a bit bland this season compared their usually boisterous nature. Zidane, therefore, is most likely to be sacked.

It is probably the goodwill he enjoys that has allowed his tenure to be given even the length of time it has already enjoyed, especially after Barcelona have increased their points tally to eight points over Real Madrid.

Real Madrid are four points behind second-placed Valencia after having lost to newly promoted Girona last weekend. It is only natural to expect a difficult and temporary downward phase after an intense couple of seasons and that is perhaps what the Bernabeu based giants find themselves in, but the club and it's chairman have never been known for their patience.

It is not unreasonable to see club Legend Zidane walking out of the dugout soon and with rumours of apparent discontent with Cristiano Ronaldo hitting the spotlight, matters can only get worse.

So, we take a look at 5 candidates who could replace the beleaguered Zidane at Real Madrid, if the Frenchman is actually sacked in the near future:

---

#5 Carlo Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti led Real Madrid to La Decima glory

Agreed that Bayern's squad did not feel comfortable with the Italian's methods, but Ancelotti achieved much success with Real Madrid just two seasons ago. Given the fact that he was sacked when almost nobody other the Fiorentino Perez wanted him to leave, he would be welcomed back with open arms.

Ancelotti might also enjoy returning to a squad where he felt appreciated and with more than enough resources and opportunities to challenge at the top. However, Ancelotti's contract with Bayern is technically still active till the end of the season, so he must be compensated.

It is questionable whether Perez would be able to lure Ancelotti just two years after he sacked him unceremoniously. If the Italian legend were to go back to Spain, he would need assurances of better treatment this time around. He might want to add the La Liga trophy to his collection of trophies as well.

Another potential hurdle to Ancelotti's return to Madrid is his interest in returning to England or Italy. He has been touted as a replacement for AC Milan boss Vincenzo Montella, and could be more interested in returning to the club where he is still revered as a legend.

All in all, this one looks unlikely, but with a shortage of quality coaches available in the market and Real Madrid's penchant for hiring big-name managers - one can never say never!

#4 Leonardo Jardim

Leonardo Jardim has achieved great things with AS Monaco

Leonardo Jardim deserves to get his way for at least two years and be on cruise mode at Monaco. That is the only reward for completing a seemingly impossible job of dethroning the all-mighty Qatari funded Paris Saint-Germain.

Jardim has, however, not put his feet up, instead, he has Monaco hot on PSG's heels. This despite losing one of his key players last season - Kylian Mbappe to title rivals PSG. PSG, of course, also landed Neymar to add to their already frightening strike force.

Jardim also impressed in the Champions League last season, guiding Monaco to the semi-finals. Monaco also did well in the cups losing in the final of the Coupe de Ligue to PSG and reaching the semi-finals of Coupe de France. All this aside, Jardim was tasked with building a team of young talents that was capable of challenging in Europe.

He did that in three seasons while keeping them in the Champions League and ensuring they weren't quite easily knocked out.

Jardim has a history of success and the only club he failed to win a trophy with, was Sporting Lisbon, where he guided his side to a second-placed finish, seven points behind a dominant Benfica side.

His profile is still growing and Monaco is his biggest job yet, but Real could firm up an interest if things look bleak, especially when you consider his record with youngsters and the number of young talents Real have in their ranks.

#3 Laurent Blanc

Laurent Blanc had a successful stint with Paris Saint-Germain

The former Paris Saint-Germain boss was not sacked for failing to deliver results, but because the PSG board simply wanted a change and advancement in the Champions League. That being said, Blanc still guided the Paris side to the three consecutive Quarter-final appearances in the Champions League.

Blanc also won the Ligue 1 three times in a row with Paris Saint-Germain and managed to win six domestic cups in the meantime. His achievements with the Parisian club have always been met with scepticism, because of the money that separated the capital club with the rest of the league.

However, this is especially harsh on Blanc who earned the PSG job by virtue of a Ligue 1 title win with Bordeaux along with a Coupe de Ligue trophy as well. He also managed to lead the side into the knockout rounds of the Champions League the next season from a group having Juventus and Bayern Munich in it.

After leaving Bordeaux, he had a turbulent reign as France manager but led the side to the Quarter-finals of Euro 2012.

Even if Blanc's achievements with Bordeaux are placed on a back-burner, Blanc managed to be an excellent 'chequebook' manager, building a fantastic team at PSG that actually functioned well. With Real Madrid's Galactico style, Blanc would be a good fit at the Bernabeu.

#2 Massimilano Allegri

The Juventus manager has tasted plenty of success

There were many rumours circulating towards the end of Zidane's first season in-charge of a possible appointment of Juventus boss Allegri. He isn't short of pedigree and has taken Juventus to an almost invincible level in Italy.

Granted that the Juventus side he took over were already three-time champions but keeping that hunger alive and keeping his squad on their toes to another hat-trick of titles is an incredible feat.

Allegri also plays a different style from Conte, playing a possession-oriented game. He has been lauded for his tactical versatility and his ability to make the most of every combination of players available to him.

Juventus have spent big in order to put further distance between them and the rest but seem to be falling off slightly, sitting fourth in the table currently. But they have lost only once in the league so far and are one win away from the top so it is a little premature to claim their demise.

Their performances in the Champions League have not been good enough for the notoriously demanding Allegri and he could be tempted with a change of scenery. The Italian was previously at AC Milan and has a reputation of being one of the top managers in Europe.

It might be premature to suggest that Allegri is looking to leave Juventus, but Real usually get their way if they really want it.

#1 Mauricio Pochettino

Mauricio Pochettino led Tottenham to a victory over Madrid just a few days ago

Even before the news of the increasing pressure on Zinedine Zidane broke out, there were rumours circulating on the Real Madrid Chairman Fiorentino Perez sniffing around at Tottenham Hotspur checking on the availability of Pochettino.

The Argentine has excelled in the Premier League since joining from Southampton in 2014, and has transformed Tottenham Hotspur from an upper mid-table side to Champions League regulars.

Pochettino has shown no sign of leaving the North London club anytime soon but has expressed an interest in talking about managing other sides in the future.

His head could be tempted by the stature and size of Real Madrid. Known to play attacking football and promoting younger local talent, Pochettino could give the younger players at Real Madrid a huge boost and add a local flavour the supporters so desperately cling on to.

Their love for Raul and Casillas in the recent past is a great example of the bond Real Madrid supporters share with local players.

A very important factor that works towards the Argentine is his prior experience in Spain, having managed Espanyol for three seasons apart from spending many years as a player for the Barcelona based club.

He is fluent in Spanish and is fairly young and comes with enough experience as well, making him an ideal candidate. He also recently guided his Spurs side to a 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu in the Champions League and beat Borussia Dortmund to top the group to top the group.

Even better, he beat Madrid 3-1 at the Wembley Stadium in the latest set of Champions League fixtures and that is bound to put him in serious contention.