Spanish La Liga
Will Unai Emery Be The Next Head Coach Of Real Madrid?
Is there a chance that Unai Emery could be appointed as the next manager of Real Madrid in the not-so-distant future?
On Thursday, January 29, 2026, a few hours after the 4-2 defeat against Benfica that condemns Real Madrid to play in the preliminary round of the Champions League playoffs, the youtuber Ramon Alvarez de Mon launched an exclusive that has not taken long to go viral on twitter and that the sports press media have confirmed with articles and reflections on the possible arrival of the Basque coach to Real Madrid.
Next Real Madrid Manager
At Real Madrid, even in times of triumph, the managerial position is never truly “closed,” not even when the manager is under contract and the team is racking up victories and titles.
With Álvaro Arbeloa ‘s tenure under scrutiny after recent setbacks (the Copa del Rey and the European defeat in Lisbon), the rumors have resurfaced, the same ones Xabi Alonso had to contend with back in October… and Unai Emery has emerged as a strong contender to start next season as the team’s manager.
Emery The Best Option?
Leaving aside the odds from football betting companies and focusing on real possibilities rather than names to stir up discussions, the short-term scenario is clear: right now it’s unlikely that Unai Emery will take over the Real Madrid bench unless there’s a very strong and sudden break.
However, looking ahead to the summer, the context changes. If the club decides to make a change, Klopp remains inactive or rules himself out, and Real Madrid seeks a proven, competitive, and negotiable candidate, Emery emerges as a strong and credible option within the current market, not necessarily the ideal one.
The ultimate key lies not in the tactics board or the European track record, but in the dressing room. If Real Madrid understands that it needs a coach capable of organizing, competing, and demanding without fear, Emery has solid arguments to convince them, and many of the footballing insights he has gleaned throughout his career could prove effective at a club with as much potential as Real Madrid.
If, on the other hand, the priority is a star manager with a certain charisma and absolute control over the media narrative, the club will look to other candidates.
That’s why his candidacy isn’t the most glamorous, but it is one of the most coherent in a market where many names carry more weight due to desire than actual viability.
Real Madrid Rumours
The starting point is clear: Real Madrid is in a state of constant evaluation. The sporting crisis and the debate over whether Arbeloa is a “project” or a “solution” have reopened the transfer market, and in this context, it has been reported that the club has inquired about Emery’s situation.
The fact is, the Real Madrid bench operates on a short-term basis. And when there are signs of tension (results and gestures), the noise becomes rumors, and often, rumors become news.
This week, for example, episodes have emerged that fuel the narrative of a demanding and fraught dressing room: from the European defeat with Arbeloa taking the blame to angry gestures from players when they were substituted.
Given the doubts about whether Klopp would accept the position (the German is still the best positioned in the online betting odds to take the reins of a new Real Madrid project), Emery has been among the top contenders for months.
However, following the defeat against Benfica, Ramon Alvarez’s channel, Real Madrid, has confirmed that the club’s management considers Emery the best choice for the fans, who want two things at once: for the team to play better… and to win. Emery typically builds teams on a competitive foundation, and his appointment is a good option in theory.
De Mon is one of the communicators, along with Iñaki Angulo, with the largest audience and relevance on YouTube for Real Madrid.
Dressing Room Management
As a manager of talented teams, handling egos on the bench should be the ultimate test for any candidate, and that includes Unai Emery. The current Real Madrid team is built on stars who make a difference, but who also need to feel important within the narrative. Mbappé, Vinícius, and Bellingham are not just footballers; they are cornerstones of the project.
How they are asked, the tone, and the context matter almost as much as what is asked. That’s why it’s no coincidence that in recent months there has been so much emphasis on emotional management as a tool to redirect attitudes and performance: when the team buys into the message, it responds.
That’s where the main potential point of friction arises. Emery is a coach with very defined roles, clear routines, and constant adjustments; someone who believes in order as the foundation of performance.
In teams still under construction, that’s usually a huge virtue. In a dressing room as dominant as Real Madrid’s, it can be… or it can generate resentment if the leaders feel constrained or their freedom limited at key moments. It’s not a question of ego, but of balance: demanding without stifling.
The big question, therefore, is whether Emery has the ability to bring order without igniting a dressing room fire.
Our assessment, that of Ramon Álvarez de Mon and most sports journalists, is realistic: if he arrives with the club’s full backing, a well-explained project, and time to implement his ideas, it could work and even raise the team’s competitive level.
If, on the other hand, he arrives as a stopgap measure after a crisis, with doubts from the top and under intense media scrutiny from day one, the fallout could be immediate. At Real Madrid, the circumstances are unfavorable: it either sustains you, or it devours you.
Tactical Perspective
From a purely technical standpoint, what we would see with Emery is quite clear. Teams playing closer together, greater commitment off the ball, well-developed game plans tailored to each opponent, and more structured attacks to avoid relying solely on individual brilliance.
The tricky point remains the same as always: demanding sacrifice from the top players. At Real Madrid, that’s non-negotiable, especially on big Champions League nights. The key will be ensuring that this message is received as a collective ambition and not as a constant source of recrimination.
If he succeeds, Emery can make the team competitive; if not, a clash will be inevitable since the work will be hard both physically and technically, where Emery is betting everything on automation and training and studying the rivals.
Other Contenders In The Running
The comparison with other candidates is key to giving weight to the analysis, because the real debate isn’t “Emery yes or no,” but rather Emery versus the rest of the market. The name that always comes up at the top is Jürgen Klopp, the media favorite due to his charisma, track record, and winning aura.
However, therein lies the main obstacle: Klopp himself has publicly cooled on the possibility and, moreover, is currently operating in a role far removed from the traditional managerial position. He’s the ideal candidate in the collective imagination, but right now he’s not the most viable in practical terms.
Something similar happens with Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid’s eternal wild card. Every time the club is shaken, his name resurfaces. He has the most difficult advantage: he knows the club, the dressing room, and the pressure of the Bernabéu.
On the other hand, there’s a constant question mark surrounding his availability, his motivation, and whether he truly wants to take on such a demanding project again. Zidane is always there, but the situation is rarely as simple as picking up the phone.
On a different level are figures like Thomas Tuchel, Enzo Maresca, and Andoni Iraola, names that emerge as alternatives due to their modernity, intensity, or tactical approach. The problem, as always for Real Madrid, is immediate results and fitting in with a dressing room full of stars.
This is where Unai Emery gains ground, because he occupies a very interesting middle ground: more realistic than the “Klopp dream,” more structured than a purely motivational figure, and with a European track record that, although marked by the Europa League, commands respect and credibility.
*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*
