Real deal Madrid seek talks with Belgian FA over appointing Martinez to Bernabeu job
Conte ruled out after player-unrest rumours Belgium FA says it must agree any move first
Real Madrid want to hold talks with Roberto Martinez at the earliest opportunity, with the Belgium manager the front-runner to take over at the Bernabeu now former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is out of the running.
But the Royal Belgium Football Association (KBVB) has left Real under no illusions that it will not tolerate an illegal approach for the former Wigan and Everton coach.
Real negotiated behind the back of the Spanish Football Federation to appoint Spain manager Julen Lopetegui on the eve of the World Cup, and the Belgians offered a warning to the Madrid giants that they will not countenance a similar situation with Martinez.
“If a club wanted to hire Mr Martinez it should first reach an agreement with the Belgian Football Federation,” said Stefan Van Loock, a spokesman for the KBVB.
Martinez signed a two-year extension with Belgium in May, shortly before leading the country to the World Cup semi-finals, but the Spaniard knows the opportunity to take charge at the European champions following Lopetegui’s sacking on Monday would be too good to turn down.
It is thought the KBVB also recognises that Real’s advances would be difficult for Martinez to spurn, but it is keen to ensure any approach for its coach, whose stock is at an all-time high, is done in the correct way.
Martinez’s chances of succeeding Lopetegui have been boosted now Conte is no longer in the frame, and with Tottenham determined to keep Mauricio Pochettino.
The prospect of Conte’s appointment is reported to have been met with opposition from some Real players and prompted the club to look elsewhere. By contrast, sources close to Conte have suggested he withdrew from the race amid reservations about taking over in mid-season.
Jose Mourinho has also been linked with a return to Real amid uncertainty over his Manchester United future, but such a scenario seems improbable given how badly relations had soured by the time he left the Bernabeu in 2013.
Real have placed B team coach Santiago Solari in temporary charge after Lopetegui’s calamitous fourand-a-half month reign was ended on Monday night in the wake of a 5-1 hammering at the hands of bitter rivals Barcelona a day earlier.
But as Article 60 of the Spanish league rules state that a caretaker can only be at the helm for two weeks, after which a permanent manager must be named, Real are under pressure to make a quick appointment.
Belgium are due to face Iceland in the Uefa Nations League on Nov 15 and Switzerland three days later and hope to minimise any potential disruption to those fixtures. Nonetheless, Florentino Perez, the Real president, proved with his brazen pursuit of Lopetegui that he is not the sort to tiptoe around others and may not wish to delay an approach for Martinez.
Lopetegui was sacked by Spain just two days before their opening World Cup match against Portugal in Russia amid anger that he had failed to inform the Spanish Football Federation of Real’s approach. Spain never seemed to recover from the chaos and were beaten by the hosts in the round of 16 after stumbling through their group.
Meanwhile, Real are increasingly confident of signing 19-year-old Brahim Diaz on a free transfer next summer when the Spain Under-21 attacking midfielder’s contract with Manchester City expires.
City have already lost an up-andcoming talent, Jadon Sancho, to a club on the Continent because of lack of playing time at City. He joined Borussia Dortmund last year and has proved a revelation.