Real Madrid went out of the Spanish Cup on Wednesday night and now it seems only a win over Paris Saint-Germain can save their season and Zinedine Zidane’s job.
Sportsmail looks back at the latest embarrassment and asks where it all went wrong? And can it be fixed?
So how bad was last night? It’s only the cup after all.
It was the first time Real Madrid had gone out of the cup having won the first leg away from home in the club’s 115-year history. Leganes were in the quarter-finals for the first time ever. Their ground holds 12,000. They were in the third tier four years ago. And after winning 1-0 last week it should have been straightforward for Madrid to get over the line. And yes it’s ‘just the cup’ but when you are 19 points behind in La Liga, the cup matters.
Zinedine Zidane looks to heavens as Real Madrid are beaten 2-1 by Leganes on Wednesday
Will Zidane be sacked if they go out to PSG?
Almost certainly. Madrid will never have been out of all three competitions so early in the year. There’s probably a 1 per cent chance he’ll be given the chance to rebuild. And a 99 per cent chance that he’ll be thanked for everything and sent on his way.
He will want to go too. It’s an unpleasant job when things are going badly and because of what he has won in the last two seasons he will walk into another job if he so chooses.
Could he really walk into another job?
Absolutely. He could take the French job after the World Cup or even move in at PSG. Players such as Kylian Mbappe and Neymar would not be against being coach by Zizou and the French club’s owners are aware of that.
Zidane could well find himself managing Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain next season
So this catastrophic season has not really been his fault?
Nobody’s saying that! He said on Wednesday night of the defeat by Leganes: ‘I take responsibility; it’s my failure’. And that should go for the whole season. He has shown himself to be a very good finals coach and a good title run-in manager. This season he has had to show other skills and so far he has been found wanting.
Skills such as?
Rebuilding the side. Managing a generational change. Coping with injuries. Trying to come up with various systems that the team can use, as opposed to have just one way of playing.
Madrid have some of the most promising young players in Spain but they are showing no signs of improvement. Marco Asensio looked like the best young player in the world at the start of the season but he has since gone backwards.
Young winger Marco Asensio has been on the wane since a blistering start to the season
Could Zidane still turn things around?
He has shown massive loyalty to a small group of players. Most of them were not on the pitch on Wednesday night. The likes of Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Toni Kroos now need to repay their coach by knocking out PSG. The probably should all have been on the pitch on Wednesday night. Another Zidane mistake.
Has the Ronaldo contract drama made things worse?
Well it will not have helped. But he has not really been the problem on the pitch. And he is top scorer in the Champions League where Madrid must now concentrate all their energies.
Cristiano Ronaldo is waiting to sign a new deal but is one of Real’s most reliable performers
The PSG game seems to be clouding everything…
That’s part of the problem. No one cares about the league now and with the cup gone almost all the focus is on beating PSG but Madrid desperately need to put a run of form together. They can’t just expect to be able to turn on the tap on February 14 when Neymar is in town.
Are the fans calling for Zidane’s head?
No, but that may well change if PSG knock them out. Real Madrid supporters have always put the European Cup above all other competitions so if they were to win it this season no one would mention losing to Leganes or someone else winning the league. But if there is nothing to play for then they will look for scapegoats.
Zidane still has credit in the bank from his playing days so it’s hard to see them really going for him but he will lose support and the president will need to start offering up the names of new signings.
Who are likely to be the targets?
The U-turn on signing Kepa Arrizabalaga from Athletic Bilbao means they will now get a goalkeeper. And that means the old targets Thibaut Courtois and David De Gea are back on the table as options.
Eden Hazard will definitely be a target even if his No 1 fan Zidane is gone. And they need a centre forward. Harry Kane fits perfectly but they are well aware that Kane will need convincing. David Beckham wanted to move to Madrid. It was Gareth Bale’s dream to play at the Bernabeu. Kane’s dream is to become a Spurs legend so it will not be straightforward.
Mohamed Salah also interests them and of course they could also just do what they did four years ago – wait to see who lights up the World Cup and buy them.
Never a dull moment…
The summer will be lively. But if PSG beat them, March, April and May will feel like an eternity.