Artificial intelligence identifies the Real Madrid coach as the most pragmatic candidate

In light of a title-less season, it has become clear that Real Madrid are seriously looking to sign a new manager for next season after the failure of Alvaro Arbeloa, who took over from Xabi Alonso.

The Royals surprised everyone by signing Xabi Alonso last season, a move aimed at building a long-term project.

However, the coach lasted just seven months as he was sacked following a painful 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in January.

Club president Florentino Perez then opted for internal promotion, appointing Alvaro Arbeloa from Castilla, but with the current season drawing to a close without a championship, a serious search for an alternative outside the walls of the Bernabeu began.

Tactical analysis

In a remarkable development, specialist bodies carried out a comparative tactical analysis using artificial intelligence and cognitive computing algorithms to identify the coaches closest to Alonso’s philosophy in terms of playing model, without taking into account achievements or personal qualities.

Klopp is the closest tactically

The results showed that Jurgen Klopp, the former German coach of Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund, matches Alonso’s style the most by 45%. Their methodology is similar in terms of pressing immediately after losing the ball, quick vertical attacking transitions and high-intensity collective mechanisms.

Klopp is highly regarded by Perez’s board of directors, making him the most obvious candidate from a technical point of view.

Pochettino

Mauricio Pochettino, the current United States manager, is second with 25% similarity, and while his style is similar to Alonso’s in terms of high pressing and defensive aggression, his approach is less organized and less focused on positional control, making him a less relevant option.

Mourinho…pragmatic choice

Although Jose Mourinho is under contract with Benfica until 2027, he has a clause that allows him to leave for free within 10 days of the end of the season.

But technical analysis showed that “The Special” is far from Alonso’s identity with a similarity level of no more than 18%, as his pragmatic style is based on defensive blocks and risk management.

However, journalist Sergio Valentin has revealed that Mourinho, who previously coached Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, has already met with Perez, making him the current favorite to return to the Bernabeu.

Deschamps

As for France coach Didier Deschamps, he had the lowest percentage of agreement with Alonso at just 12%, as his style tends towards balance and results at the expense of attacking sophistication, making him the furthest from the philosophy Alonso was planning to implement.

A disappointing season

Remarkably, Alonso, who signed a three-year contract after his astonishing success with Bayer Leverkusen, failed to realize his second dream with the club he played for from 2009-2014 in a season that ended without a title amid internal tensions that exposed a deep crisis in the dressing room.