Real is political, but they’re the biggest club in the world and Pochettino would be mad to turn them down
LEO BEENHAKKER EXCLUSIVE
LOS BLANCOS LEGEND HAS NO DOUBTS
Pochettino has become the bookies’ hot-favourite to succeed Zinedine Zidane as Madrid boss after the Frenchman shocked football by quitting just days after his history-making third successive Champions League crown.
And, despite reports suggesting Zidane walked away after repeated clashes with Bernabeu supremo Florentino Perez, Beenhakker has claimed Argentinian Pochettino would be mad to say no to managing Madrid.
Now in retirement after a stint as technical adviser at Sparta Rotterdam, Beenhakker has simple advice for Pochettino.
“If I was him I would take it, I would jump at the chance” said the popular Dutchman, nicknamed Don Leo for his love of cigars and a sharp humour. Real Madrid came for me twice and both times it was impossible to turn them down. How can you?
“They are the biggest club side in the world and managing them still brings back great memories, 30 years later.”
Beenhakker, 75, won a hat-trick of La Liga titles in successive seasons as well as two Spanish Super Cups and a Copa del Rey during his three-year spell at Madrid, which ended when John Toshack took charge in 1989. He returned again in 1992 for a brief five-month spell in a caretaker role and is viewed as one of Madrid’s most successful foreign coaches.
And, although the club, currently run by powerful president Perez, is a political minefield, Beenhakker claims Pochettino should put all that aside and say yes if Madrid make that call.
“Presidents at Madrid always have a lot of influence and it was the same in my day with Ramon Mendoza,” said Beenhakker.
“But I was lucky I had two great ex-players in Alfredo Di Stefano and Francisco Gento on my side during my time.
“They were the club’s scouts and they gave me Emilio Butragueno and Hugo Sanchez, so how could I complain?
“The game had no surprises for them and, for me, it was paradise working with them.
“When I signed in 1986, Mendoza said just one thing to me, ‘Leo, you have to win something every year and I won’t fire you’. But that is life at Madrid for every coach.”
Despite winning the Champions