Antonio Conte has been heavily linked with replacing Julen Lopetegui as Real Madrid boss, but Sergio Ramos could reportedly scupper the move.
The current man in charge is under intense pressure after seeing his side fall to a 5-1 defeat to Barcelona in El Clasico this past weekend, continuing an awful run of form.
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That result leaves them in ninth place in La Liga having lost as many games as they’ve won so far this season, while they’re now seven points adrift of the leaders.
With that in mind and a potential change on the way, Conte has been the name paired with the position at the Bernabeu for well over a week, as noted by Sportmediaset.
However, while a decision over Lopetegui has yet to be made, Mundo Deportivo now report that Conte is perhaps not a certainty to be named as his successor amid doubts over his compatibility with captain Ramos.
Following on from comments he made on Sunday about ‘earning respect’, as noted by MD, it’s suggested that the pair could butt heads and it may not be the most sensible of appointments.
That seems a rather odd reason for a coach not getting a job, as if the club believe in his ability to help them reach their objectives, then players should fall in line and follow his lead if he arrives.
Instead, as noted by Sky Sport Italia journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, the Spanish giants could look internally and appoint Santiago Solari as he also notes that Conte is looking for certain ‘guarantees’ before taking on the job which could relate to the above issue.
Time will tell if it’s enough to stop the Italian tactician from replacing Lopetegui, if a change is made, but it’s certainly enough to cast doubt over the move for now.