Getting at the top is not that difficult but remaining at the top is the real test. Well Real Madrid have been the European Champions three times now but without a head coach its proved to be not easy .They just fired Lopetegui after 14 matches in charge.
With all the speculations indicating that Antonio Conte was to succeed Lopetegui at the Bernabeu helm, the defending European champions have yet to name their permanent replacement for the Spaniard.
Real Madrid B-team coach Solari has been put in temporary charge and led the side to a 4-0 defeat of third-division side Melilla in the first leg of their Copa del Rey round of 32 tie on the north cost of Morocco last night.
With talks reportedly having stalled with Conte due to concerns over his military-style management and how that would work with the superstars of the Madrid dressing room, it has been suggested that Solari could see out the remainder of the current season.
Nacho refused to blame Lopetegui and insisted that he did not lose the respect of the squad despite their torrid run of results, blaming it on “bad luck” under the former Spain national team manager.
And he insists that if Solari is given the chance to show his managerial abilities until May then the Real Madrid team will do their utmost to get back on track and have a successful campaign.
Nacho said: “We will work as if he [Solari] is here for the full season. He is from here, he is experienced, he has won titles with Madrid.
“We, the players, don’t have to make these decisions and we will see what happens but he’s a great coach.
“The squad was with Lopetegui, but we didn’t have any luck. Now we have a new coach, who is excited, and we will fight to the death for him, too.
“It has been a difficult time after the Clasico, where he had a result which we hadn’t expected.
“But this is football and, luckily, we had a game very soon after, which we wanted to win and above all score goals in. Obviously, it’s painful to lose like the other day but thankfully there are more games to come.”
Solari declared himself satisfied with what he saw from Real in his first game on the touch-line last night.
He said afterwards: “Very happy, I have seen the team happy, with intensity and enthusiasm, running the full 90 minutes.
“[They played well] Against a difficult opponent, who presses high and who plays well despite being in Segunda Division B, they always go up and are difficult.
“They [the Madrid players] are great champions, they are very committed. If not, they do not earn everything they have earned.
“They are hurt because this is sport, there are dynamics that are bad and it has to be reversed. They have run the whole game, we have done many things well.”