Lopetegui was close to Real sacking

According to Mundo Deportivo, Florentino Perez was seriously considering the prospect of sacking Julen Lopetegui following Real Madrid’ loss to Alaves. Alas, he was given a stay of execution courtesy of other board members behind the scenes, although with El Clasico being right around the corner, there’s a good chance that he may not be able to stick around for much longer.

Real have suffered from the departure of Zinedine Zidane, to the point where many are questioning their ability to compete both domestically and in European competition. They’re still considered to be one of the best clubs in Europe, but that may not matter all too much if they can’t gel as a unit.

Real and Barca have both had a string of surprising results since the start of the campaign, and judging by this report, Madrid fans who have been calling for his head could be on the verge of getting their wish.