Seeking a lion tamer with experience Real Madrid - Opinion Opinion by Carlos Carpio

In the past 30 years there have been 28 coaches at the Bernabeu (some of them masochists who have returned to the job) and only three of them have been able to survive three full seasons: Leo Beenhaker (1986-89), Vicente del Bosque (1999/2003) and Jose Mourinho (2010-13).

The average is around one a season, like the Champions League in recent years or Nadal at Roland Garros. Whatever, there is a basic scientific theory that three years is the time for which it takes for the Real Madrid dressing room to turn on the coach if the results haven't already seen him off.

Accepting this as the reality, we can take a look at the ideal profile of the coach to replace Zidane and this can include looking at a director of human resources, a lion tamer, an idol, a prison guard, to a teammate, Madrid fan, a bon vivant or a politician.

Possibly this time it is necessary to have a sergeant major, based on the idea that Zidane was more tired of the constant moanings of the players than of the lack of confidence from the president and the insistence in bringing in a new goalkeeper.

Recent history has shown that easy going coaches have brought more success to Madrid but still the board is convinced that they need to increase the tension in the dressing room where the players having won so much in Europe are taking the league and cup for granted.

For this reason they are looking for a coach that has personality, a respected curriculum, appreciates good football and not just a victory, knows how to deal with big names and knows his place and that of his players. Does a coach that like that exist?

He certainly does but he is called Pep Guardiola and wears a yellow ribbon which in the tense political scenario that exists in Spain right now means that he is automatically discarded.

Looking at the realistic options. Pochettino is the the first choice but he is at the worst club in order to negotiate, alongside Daniel Levy. The second is Low who has said no thank you, with the day to day work a grind and especially at Madrid. Allegri is also an option but he has family problems. Klopp and Conte have seen their chances grow but their personalities cause concern. Michel and Laudrup are Madrid through and through but they lack experience.

All have something going against them. More than did Zidane who was an emergency solution and went on to win three Champions Leagues.