Schuster handed Real hot-seat
The Bernabeu's managerial merry-go-round continues to turn
Also In The News
|
Who's next? As a certain legendary band once asked. |  |
Monday, 09, Jul 2007 12:07
La Liga champions Real Madrid have appointed former Getafe coach Bernd Schuster as their new head coach to replace departed Fabio Capello.
Schuster becomes the eighth coach in four years to take on the seemingly impossible job of satisfying the high expectations at the 'King's club' in the Spanish capital.
The 48-year-old German coach led over-achieving Getafe to ninth place in La Liga and also saw them make an appearance in the season-ending Copa Del Rey final against Sevilla.
He has previously managed Levante and Jerez in Spain as well as periods in Germany with Fortuna Koln and FC Koln. Schuster also has experience in Ukraine with Shakhtar Donetsk.
"His teams play good, entertaining football," said Real president Ramon Calderon.
"He knows the club and will handle a dressing room full of stars."
Capello was sacked for his outspoken views on the club's hierarchy and a very public disagreement with Calderon over the type of football Madrid played last season.
He was dismissed despite securing the club's first league title in four years after a nail-biting final-day victory over Real Mallorca.
Calderon claimed Capello's team played without the style befitting Real Madrid, while the Italian – in his second spell in charge at the Bernabeu – claimed results were his priority.
Eight of Madrid's last nine coaches have spent a year or less in charge at Real. Only Vicente Del Bosque, who stayed in the job for three and a half years from 1999 to 2003, managed longer than 12 months.
Between 2003 and 2006 Real dismissed six coaches – Del Bosque was followed out of the door by Carlos Queiroz (one year in charge), now an assistant at Manchester United, Jose Camacho (three months), Mariano Garcia Remon (three months), Vanerlei Luxemburgo (11 months) and Lopez Caro (six months).