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What’s the rumour?
Antonio Conte has been linked with Real Madrid's managerial job for the past 2-3 weeks and the rumours were stronger than ever last night. The Spanish giants were trounced 5-1 by Barcelona in El Clasico and Julen Lopetegui's time was reportedly up.
However, reports by Spanish TV channel, Cuatro (via AS) suggest that the former Chelsea manager is not interested in taking over at Bernabeu. The Italian manager fears that the players will not be welcoming him and he has decided not to take the job after a lot of thinking.
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Lopetegui took over at Bernabeu after Zidane abruptly left the club in the summer. The Frenchman had won 3 back-to-back Champions League titles and wanted a break. Los Blancos moved swiftly and appointed Lopetegui, just days before the World Cup leading to his sacking by RFEF.
Conte, on the other hand, has been without a job after Chelsea sacked him in the summer. The Blues were convinced that he had lost the dressing room and replaced him with Maurizio Sarri.
The heart of the matter
Sergio Ramos was asked about the possible arrival of Antonio Conte after the 5-1 loss at Camp Nou and he replied, “Respect is won, it's not imposed. We have won everything with managers that you know, and in the end, the management of the dressing room is more important than the technical knowledge of a manager.”
That seems to have got Conte thinking and is now not looking to take the job. The former Chelsea manager was reportedly on vacation in Egypt and had taken a flight to London last night, before heading to Spain to hold talks with Madrid. However, the latest developments suggest that Los Blancos will have to keep their hunt for a new manager going.
Rumour probability: 5/10
Cuatro isn't a channel that has been in the news for quite a while and it is very difficult to suggest if they are spot on or just making things up. For the moment, as AS are also reporting it, we will leave it on the edge and suggest the readers take it with a pinch of salt.
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What’s next?
Conte still has time to decide if he wants the job or not. In the meantime, Santiago Solari might be appointed as the interim manager.
