What Would It Take for Real Madrid to Sack Rafa Benitez?

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez gave manager Rafa Benitez a vote of confidence on Monday, but that doesn't necessarily mean Benitez's job is completely safe. With a little creativity, one can think of more than a few ways Benitez could be sacked by the end of the season—or even before.

This is Real Madrid we're talking about, after all. Managers at the capital club are generally short-lived.

Take Benitez's predecessor as an example. Carlo Ancelotti led Real to La Decima—the club's 10th European title —in 2014 but failed to win a trophy the following season. The club parted ways with him in May before turning to Benitez.

The latter now finds himself under pressure following a 4-0 defeat at the hands of rivals Barcelona on Saturday. Defeat left Real six points behind Barca after just 12 league matches, though the match suggested the gap is even larger.

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Speculation ran high after Perez called a press conference for Monday, with Sky Sports' Guillem Balague saying that Real would "probably" sack Benitez because of how poorly the team played against Barcelona.

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 "There is no way whatsoever that this kind of performance—we're not even talking about the result—but the performance, will have no consequences," Balague said. "It has to have consequences. That's how Real Madrid works."

But Perez spared his manager, telling the assembled press (h/t BBC Sport) that Benitez "has all our support and confidence. Rafa has only just started his job here. Let him keep working and he will achieve his objectives."

However, Perez also hinted he could revisit his decision later in the season, adding: "I cannot say what will happen in the future. No-one can say what will happen in six months."

With that in mind, here are a few scenarios that could see Benitez lose his job by the end of the season—or even before.

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The unforeseen upset

Losing to Barcelona—with such a poor performance—was bad, but Luis Enrique's team ranks among the world's best. The Catalans claimed a treble last season, winning La Liga along with the Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League. In other words, Barcelona can ball and losing to them wasn't completely unexpected (even if the manner of that defeat was).

But what if Real Madrid were to lose badly to a clearly inferior opponent? The Blancos have already qualified for the Champions League knockout stage, but defeat at, say, Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday might convince Perez to reconsider Benitez's position.

Or, to be even more fanciful, Real travel to third-tier Cadiz on Dec. 2 for a Copa del Rey match. An upset in Andalusia would surely spell the end for Benitez.

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A players' revolt

Another scenario that could end Benitez's tenure in Madrid involves a players' revolt. If the manager loses control of the dressing room, he cannot be effective, and if it happens to Benitez, Perez would have to act.

To be fair, some reports to that effect are already circulating. According to Marca, Real's players have given Benitez the ironic nickname "Number 10." The Spanish newspaper explains:

"

They hold it against him that he himself was not a top football player and yet gives lessons to players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Modric and the rest. They don't understand his advice, and he tries to correct things which are unconnected with tactics.

They have recently worked under Carlo Ancelotti, one of the leaders of the Milan side of the eighties, and now they do not take too easily to Benítez. Mourinho did not reach the top level as a player either, though he always enjoyed the support of his squad.

Some of them prefer not to play along the wing where the bench is; they say Benítez gives orders which amount to absolutely nothing.

"

For now, this is an unsubstantiated, if also rather interesting, bit of reporting. But any Madrid supporter reading it must find it troubling. If the rumors continue, or if a player publicly denounces Benitez, Perez could hardly allow the status quo to continue.

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Ronaldo's reported ultimatum

Similar to the scenario above, Benitez has to maintain at least a working relationship with one player: Cristiano Ronaldo. 

The Portuguese international is a superstar, not to mention Real's best player and highest-profile figure. He also has a massive ego, which is hardly news to anyone who follows football.

So what happens if Ronaldo doesn't like Benitez? We might be about to find out. According to Jack de Menezes at the Independent, Ronaldo told his teammates after the loss to Barcelona: "Either (Benitez) goes, or I go."

Again, this is an unsubstantiated report, at least for now. But if it's true, and Perez has thrown his lot in with Benitez, we could see a very unhappy Ronaldo in the coming days. If Ronaldo really did give an ultimatum, he'll have to follow up on it now. 

And if he does that, Real will really be in disarray.

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Results, results, results

Football, as we all know, is about results. That's especially true at Real Madrid, the club with more European titles than any other. 

Ancelotti delivered the long-awaited La Decima but lost his job after a trophy-less season in 2014-15. Jose Mourinho, another mega-high-profile manager, left the club after a disappointing 2012-13 campaign.

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Benitez will be no different. Either he delivers a trophy this season or he'll be gone. It's as simple as that.

Real trail Barcelona by six points in the league, but 26 matches remain. All hope is not lost. The Blancos are already in the Champions League last 16, but the reality of knockout football is that a single poor performance can undo an entire season. The same is true in the Copa del Rey.

If he wins any of those competitions, Benitez has a chance to keep his job for another season—when the whole process will resume. But even if he does deliver a trophy, there's one more scenario that could see him lose his job.

Another poor performance and defeat against Barcelona in the season's second Clasico could mark the end of Benitez. That game is scheduled for April 3, at the Camp Nou.

If Benitez is still around by then, he surely won't survive a repeat performance against Real's fiercest rivals.