Does Rafa Benitez have a long-term future at Real Madrid?

Real Madrid are attempting to pick up the pieces after Saturday's 4-0 humbling at the hands of Barcelona at the Bernabeu.

Questions have been asked about the future of coach Rafa Benitez, the club's president Florentino Perez and big-name players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

So what happened and where exactly does the club go from here? Sky Sports' Spanish expert Guillem Balague delivers the ultimate analysis of the situation and explains why Benitez will stay after a vote of confidence from Perez, but the search for his replacement is likely to begin...

Real Madrid - What on earth happened?

Watch highlights as Barcelona won the first El Clasico of the season, beating Real Madrid 4-0 Watch highlights as Barcelona won the first El Clasico of the season, beating Real Madrid 4-0

This 4-0 defeat at the hands of Barcelona - which could, in fact, have been even worse - came about for a number of reasons.

Some say that one of them was Rafa Benitez's team selection. He originally thought about playing Isco and Casemiro instead of Karim Benzema and James Rodriguez, but decided against it.

Unfortunately this coincided with a Barcelona who were really on their game and a dreadful attitude from those players Rafa had put his trust in. It seemed to me that the players he put on the pitch, good enough to beat anybody, did not show enough commitment to follow their coach's instructions; in short, lines together, high pressure and keeping the ball.

I feel the players are more to blame. Do they all want to play for Benitez? I have my doubts.



What are the immediate repercussions of the match from Madrid's point of view?

Do players such as Cristiano Ronaldo want to play for Rafa Benitez?

The first reaction from just about everyone is that Benitez has lost the confidence of the board as well as many of the players.

The reaction of the Madrid sporting press (Diario AS and Marca) was predictable with both of them saying the time has come for Benitez to fall on his sword.

However, it has been a fascinating, not to say tense, 24 hours and things aren't quite as cut and dried as they may seem.

In the cold light of day Florentino Perez has analysed the situation and realised that if he lets Benitez go with less than one third of the season gone he will be doing something he has never done before.

More importantly, however, with Rafa gone, the fortunes (or lack of them) of Real Madrid until the end of the season will all be focused on him.



With Manuel Pellegrini, Perez lost confidence as early as pre-season, primarily because of the Chilean's desire to keep Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder at the club. Florentino wanted to sell them and so from that point his fate was sealed.

Carlo Ancelotti could do no wrong following a run of 22 straight wins, which led to contract renewal talk in December 2014. By February however, not only were there not going to be any talks, it had already been decided that the Italian was not going to be in charge the following season.

With Rafa it's a little bit similar. The board is disappointed with the team's performance but know that this is not the right time to get rid of him.



So what are the real problems at Madrid?

The search may be about to begin for Benitez's replacement

Perez feels, according to people close to him, he has made a mistake in appointing Benitez but refuses to accept that part of the problem is the implementation of an absurd sporting plan that only follows business rather than football rules.

He also knows that a lot of players are not playing for Benitez. If he didn't then he only needs to look at the local press who seem to be talking of little else.

He also knows that a lot of the players loved Ancelotti and would dearly love to see him back.

So what happens now?

Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo's futures at Real Madrid hang in the balance

After backing him in Monday night's press conference, Florentino will tell Benitez that if he wants to sit down and have a 'frank exchange of views' with part of the 'BBC' and leave them on the bench then he has the blessing of the board.

Florentino is referring to Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo, who might be put up for sale in the summer.

How will that turn out? All will be revealed if we suddenly start seeing Benzema and Ronaldo coming in and out of the starting line-up.

His line-up against Barcelona - I feel - did not reflect his real intentions. What Florentino will now be telling Rafa from now until Christmas is: "OK show me what you want to do." If that includes leaving out the big guns (Gareth Bale NOT included) then so be it.

If that happens then it is practically a certainty that both players will be leaving the Bernabeu at the end of the season.

A poll held by the Forza Football app claimed that of 15,000 votes cast, 64% wanted Ronaldo to remain at the club although it has to be said that was predominantly an international rather than a local vote.

Guillem Balague and Graham Hunter review Barcelona's win over rivals Real Madrid. Guillem Balague and Graham Hunter review Barcelona's win over rivals Real Madrid.

Locally (like in a Marca poll) the thinking is different and Cristiano is seen one of the people to blame for the situation.

Real Madrid and Perez will be helped by a comparatively leisurely run into the Christmas break. They play two games in the Champions League in which they have already qualified for the knock-out stages; Copa del Rey games against Cadiz; and in the league they face Getafe and Rayo at home and visit Eibar and Villarreal.

But whatever happens, I feel Florentino is going to start his search for a new man for the Bernabeu hot seat next season. It's a very unfair situation for Rafa. Rule nothing out.

By the way, believe this if you wish, but the official line from Madrid is now, and has always, been that the president has no say whatsoever in the selection of the side.

Hmmm...

So whose fault is it?

President Forentino Perez may use Benitez as a shield to deflect criticism

Well that depends very much on what you read and who you listen to. Actually, from the board to the manager to the players, everyone must shoulder some of the blame.

Not surprisingly the local press are looking for scapegoats. At AS, the villain of the piece would seem to be Florentino Perez, although Benitez comes in for more than his fair share of the flak that is flying around at the moment.

Marca are putting much of the blame on the shoulders of Ronaldo, something which has obviously galvanised Ronaldo's people; Jorge Mendes and his entourage have sprung into immediate action in defence of their main man.

So now the stories start to come out about how not just Cristiano, but also James Rodriguez (another of Mendes' charges) are unhappy and that's because of Benitez.

A good friend of Mendes is the former Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, who despite having absolutely nothing to do with this at all, has come out in praise and defence of James.

The impact of that is merely to heap even more pressure onto poor Benitez.

What do the Real Madrid public think?

Real Madrid fans waved 'white hankies' at the players

At the end of the match on Saturday, sheets of white paper laid out on seats to present a white picture before kick-off turned into a floating nightmare for Perez as fans used them as improvised 'handkerchiefs' to wave in the traditional method of protest employed in Spain.

The boos calling for his resignation that rang loud and clear in the Madrid evening were more than a match for the club's rallying song 'Hala Madrid' even after someone had issued instructions that its volume should be raised in order to drown out the cacophony that was emanating from the angry terraces.



And what about Barcelona in all of this?

Barcelona's fine form may have been lost amid the Real Madrid talk

Amid all the furore surrounding the crisis at Madrid, everyone (except of course an ecstatic, gloating Barcelona press) seems to have forgotten just how good a performance this was from Luis Enrique's men.

Praise a-plenty is due to the magnificent Andres Iniesta. I say that not just because of his goal, but also because he now seems to be doing his own job AND the one that Xavi used to do. Not only can he control the midfield but he can also change the pace of the game.

Sergi Roberto was also fantastic both offensively and defensively and seemed to come of age in this match. He was a constant thorn in the Madrid side on the right-hand-side of midfield/attack, but also came inside between the lines on occasions, not least with his assist for Luis Suarez's first goal.

In defensive mode he became another brick in the Barcelona midfield wall keeping tabs on any potential runs from Madrid's attacking full back, Marcelo.

Everyone did their job and what is most interesting is that Neymar is now leading in terms of goals, assists and chances created and is certainly the most influential player in the league at the moment.