Real’s Ramos unlikely to stay despite successful spell

March 18, 2009

Quite a few sceptical eyebrows were raised when Real Madrid gave Bernd Schuster the boot back in December and brought in Juande Ramos.

After an impressive spell at Sevilla, Ramos had faltered badly at Tottenham and it seemed the Real board were taking a big gamble in bringing him back to Spain with a contract until the end of the season.

When the affable La Manchan took charge, 100 days ago today, the champions had lost two on the trot and were down in fifth place, nine points behind leaders Barcelona.

Although his first league match ended in a 2-0 defeat at the Nou Camp, Real subsequently went on a 10-match winning run that ended on March 7 with the 1-1 home draw to city rivals Atletico.

Barca’s recent wobble has seen their lead cut from 12 points to six and Real fans are not giving up hope of a third consecutive Primera Liga title.

So has Ramos done enough to convince the men in suits that he should stay on next season?

Domestic success is all very well but what the club really craves is another Champions League triumph after a barren period stretching back to 2002.

The drubbing Real received at the hands of Liverpool will not have done his chances of remaining much good.

It also looks more and more likely that Florentino Perez will mount a successful comeback as club president. The architect of Real’s “Galacticos” policy has been linked in the media with coaches including Arsene Wenger of Arsenal and AC Milan’s Carlo Ancelotti.

Ramos has done a lot of good at Real, particularly tightening up the defence and getting the best out of the increasingly impressive Lassana Diarra, but he’ll probably be plying his trade elsewhere come next season.

PHOTO: Real Madrid coach Juande Ramos attends a news conference before a training session at Anfield in Liverpool March 9, 2009. REUTERS/Nigel Roddis

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