A poll conducted by Marca shows that Real Madrid fans would prefer the charismatic German manager to replace under-fire boss Carlo Ancelotti.

It is the world’s worst kept secret: the Real Madrid board plans on sacking Carlo Ancelotti. The board’s reticence to quell the speculation and defend the under-pressure Italian coach makes their intentions crystal-clear.

Dismissing a manager is relatively straightforward, but appointing a new one is very much a delicate task due to the severe shortage of world-class coaches available on the market. But amid the uncertainty regarding the managerial seat, the Real Madrid faithful have given their verdict: Jurgen Klopp should be in charge if Ancelotti is booted out.

In a wide-scale poll conducted by Spanish newspaper Marca, 44% of the respondents vouched for the current Borussia Dortmund boss. Intriguingly, Zinedine Zidane only got 7,4% of the votes despite his legendary status among the fans.

Some of the bookies’ favourites to take over the job have also been snubbed by the voters. For example, Rafa Benitez was given the nod by 8,9% of the voters, while former Real Madrid Castilla manager Julen Lopetegui ended up with a measly 2,8%. With almost half the share of votes, it seems Klopp emerges as the people’s choice.

The outcome of the 2015 UK general elections taught us not to blindly believe poll results, but the plebiscite for Jurgen Klopp is very much credible. Madrid fans want the German to ply his trade at the Bernabeu because they having witnessed first-hand his tactical genius. In 2013, he masterminded the Borussia Dortmund which inflicted a 4-1 loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final (2nd leg). That feat was followed-up by a 2-0 thrashing of the Spaniards in the quarter finals (2nd leg) a year later.

Klopp’s ability to tame egos and federate a dressing room will certainly come in handy in the Iberian peninsula, though doubts linger about whether or not he could thrive in a big-club environment. Also, the disappointing way in which his seventh season at the helm of Dortmund unfolded slightly tarnished his reputation. For all those reasons, it would not come as a surprise if Florentino Perez remained oblivious to the fans’ wishes and opted for a veteran, old-school manager to lead the post-Ancelotti era.