Santiago Solari will take temporary charge of Real Madrid for the first time tonight as they travel to face third-tier Melilla in the Copa del Rey – and he has not ruled out landing the job full-time.
Solari was previously the manager of Real Madrid B but has been handed the first-team reins on an interim basis as the club seek a replacement for Julen Lopetegui.
Lopetegui was shown the door on Monday evening after less than five months and just 14 games in charge.
The decision came after a run of five defeats in seven matches, culminating in a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of El Clasico rivals Barcelona on Sunday, leaving Real Madrid ninth in La Liga.
Solari, a former Real midfielder, led training yesterday as speculation over who will be appointed as Lopetegui’s permanent successor continues.
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The likes of former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, ex-Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino have all been linked to the vacancy, while Solari could yet land the post full-time.
“I’m going to go into things positively and do everything I can. It’s a great opportunity,” Solari said ahead of the clash against Melilla.
“In life in general and in this profession we are all just here passing through. Everything goes very quickly, the important thing is the day to day, it is the same for players as well.
“They have different processes and different rhythms, the important thing is you go into every game and do good things in every minute of every game.”
Why do Real Madrid only have two weeks to replace Julen Lopetegui?
According to the rules of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), an interim manager can only remain in charge for a maximum of 15 days.
Real have four matches in that period in which Solari can manage the club.
First up is the Copa del Rey clash with Melilla tonight, then a home game against Valladolid in La Liga followed by away trips to Viktoria Plzen (Champions League) and Celta Vigo (La Liga).
Real president Florentino Perez will be using the time to appoint a permanent manager, whose first game in charge could be the La Liga trip Eibar on November 24 should Solari see out the full two weeks.