Zinedine Zidane Reportedly May Replace Rafa Benitez If Real Madrid Lose Clasico

Despite having only lost one game as Real Madrid manager heading into this weekend’s Clasico showdown, Los Blancos boss Rafael Benitez will reportedly be sacked and could be replaced by Zinedine Zidane should Barcelona win.  

Mundo Deportivo (h/t Football Espana) claim that club president Florentino Perez has already grown tired of the pragmatic principles deployed by Benitez, who was appointed as Carlo Ancelotti’s replacement in the summer. It’s suggested Zidane will be asked to step up from the B team into the top job should Benitez get the boot.

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Real trail their bitterest rivals Barcelona by three points heading into this weekend’s clash. A win for Los Blancos would see them retake the top spot on head-to-head record and provide a major dose of momentum heading toward the festive period.

However, against a Barcelona team that could welcome back Lionel Messi in the attack alongside Luis Suarez and Neymar, defeat is always a possibility. Three points here would put the Blaugrana in a tremendous position to win the league title, a feat their rivals from the capital have not achieved since 2011-12.

Benitez’s first defeat as Real Madrid manager came against Sevilla last time out, as Los Blancos lost 3-2 at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.

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Despite being cohesive and extremely difficult to beat throughout the season, the principles employed have yet to get the best out of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez. As relayed by Football Espana, there have also been suggestions that some key players have had run-ins with the former Liverpool manager.

Dermot Corrigan noted recently that in front of their own supporters at the Santiago Bernabeu, where this weekend’s game will be played, Real have been unable to make their superior quality count:

Zidane is untested as a manager at the top level, and his Castilla team were actually relegated last season. However, according to Football Espana, Perez hopes to hand the managerial reins over to the Frenchman eventually, hoping for a similar impact which Pep Guardiola had during his stint as Barcelona boss.

Should the former midfielder decline the opportunity to take over the post so soon, Football Espana note that Victor Fernandez, who was employed to oversee the club's youth setup recently, could also be a short-term option.

If Benitez does get the chop, it’ll surprise few. From the off, his disciplinarian style and mechanical brand of football didn't seem the right fit for a club which not only demands victories but victories in a certain style. Nevertheless, some consistency at the Bernabeu is vital, and giving the manager the chop so early could prove hugely disruptive to Real’s campaign.