Real Madrid have appointed Santiago Solari as their permanent head coach until the end of the season, ending any lingering chance of Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino taking over at the Bernabeu.
Despite signing a new five-year contract with Spurs in the summer, Pochettino was heavily linked with Madrid when Zinedine Zidane unexpectedly resigned. The La Liga giants appointed Julen Lopetegui instead, but he was sacked after a dreadful start to the current campaign.
As a result, Pochettino name was mooted as a candidate once again. But according to Sky Sports, Madrid have decided to appoint Solari permanently after an impressive interim spell.
That’s good news for Tottenham, who can now ignore any remaining speculation about Pochettino’s immediate future. Said speculation had gone quiet over the last couple of weeks with Pochettino himself pouring cold water on rumours of an exit.
Of course, there is no guarantee the Argentinian won’t be linked with Madrid again at the end of the season if Solari’s short-term deal isn’t extended beyond next summer. That’s a long way off, though.