After a disappointing 2014-15 campaign, Real Madrid parted ways with head coach Carlo Ancelotti and appointed former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez as his successor. The club have struggled for the majority of this season and failed to win a trophy as Barcelona dominated Spanish football, claiming a second treble in six seasons. However, Real fans should remain positive about their chances next season under Benitez. The Spaniard led Liverpool to the Champions League crown in 2005, as well as winning the UEFA Cup / Europa League with both Valencia and Chelsea.
The 13-time Champions League winners are expected to be active in the transfer window this summer and, with a couple of signings, should challenge Barcelona’s supremacy in La Liga and Europe’s elite club competition. In fact, when this article was produced, betfair were offering 5/1 on Benitez’s side to extend their record and earn another title.
Real are preparing for a busy transfer window, with the club expecting to bring a number of players to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer. Manchester United’s David de Gea, who has been linked with a move to Madrid for the majority of the season, has reportedly told the Old Trafford side that he wishes to move to his native land and join the Spanish giants. The 24-year-old is arguably the best goalkeeper in the world and, with Iker Casillas pushing 35 years old, it would make sense for Madrid to bring De Gea in now and allow him some time to adjust back to the Spanish game.
Furthermore, Real may bring in another striker this summer as they bid to compete with Barcelona’s phenomenal trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar. The evergreen Cristiano Ronaldo remains a focal point of Madrid’s attack, while Gareth Bale has struggled to make a major impact during his second season in Spain. They possess one of the most talented midfield units in world football but do lack an ‘out-and-out’ striker at times. It would be no surprise to see the 13-time Champions League winners dip into the market as they attempt to narrow the gap between themselves and Barcelona. Some supporters have resorted to drastic measures and voiced their frustration at Bale by trying to attack his car after leaving a game. A short clip of the incident can be seen below.
On the other hand, Real Madrid are ruthless and are likely to axe a few players this summer – especially if they bring quality talent into the club. Portugal international Fabio Coentrao may be one of those who leave the Bernabeu this summer, particularly as fellow left-back Marcelo appears to have nailed down the position. Karim Benzema has been linked with a summer move to Manchester United and may be labelled as one of Real’s most expendable players.
The Frenchman has insisted that he will remain at the club but, at 27 years old, Real may decide that there is a better – and younger – option out there. Alexandre Lacazette has been phenomenal for Lyon this season and remains one of the most sought after players in Europe right now and, although Benzema remains a potent threat in attack, the Madrid forward has struggled with injury problems this season and it may be the right time to bring a fresh, young striker into the club. It wouldn’t be a huge shock to see Benzema playing his football elsewhere at the start of next year. Saying that, the striker’s agent has revealed that there is no chance he will be leaving the club this summer.
Karim Benzema’s agent says the French striker will not leave Real Madrid for Man United: http://t.co/NwMzbrP8D4 pic.twitter.com/McJ00CK30m
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) June 7, 2015
Benitez is a shrewd tactician and has shown that he is more than capable of outwitting some of the best managers in the game. The 55-year-old struggled in Italy during his time at Napoli and Inter Milan, but performed admirably during his time as interim head coach of Chelsea – winning the Europa League and securing Champions League football. Benitez is meticulous and rarely gets his tactics wrong in the big games – one of his most impressive traits. He has an excellent record in European competitions – winning the UEFA Cup with Valencia in 2004, the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005 and the Europa League with Chelsea in 2013.
In fact, the Spaniard is arguably the perfect candidate to take the leadership of Real. The European giants have always focussed on the Champions League as their main priority and the club will be hopeful that Benitez’s tactical nous can see them reach the latter stages once again. Carlo Ancelotti was criticised heavily for his tactics during the semi-final clashes with Juventus as Madrid were caught out defensively after adopting an extremely positive approach in the first leg. A tactically astute manager, such as Benitez, may not have made that mistake.
Most importantly, Madrid possess a squad that is accustomed to challenging for trophies and their players will be hungry to regain their crown and claim another European Cup triumph. With the likes of Sergio Ramos, Luke Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo, Real have match winners all over the field and are more than capable of emerging victorious in the competition in 12 months’ time. It appears as though the club will manage to secure the signature of goalkeeper De Gea – especially as Manchester United have already lined up a move for Tottenham shot-stopper Hugo Lloris - and this will be a huge scalp in their bid for glory next season. Furthermore, if they can also add a few other squad players, Real will be well set to push for another Champions League crown next season.
