Solari: Real Madrid fans urge LaLiga club to keep coach on
82% of those who took part in an AS.com poll said Florentino Pérez should extend Santi Solari's stay in the Real Madrid dugout.
Santi Solari has impressed the Real Madrid fans in the games he has overseen so far as caretaker coach, leading a majority of those who took part in an AS.com survey on Thursday to give their thumbs-up to the Argentine remaining in charge until the summer. 82% of the 56,535 readers who answered the question "Should Solari stay on until the end of the season?" voted 'yes', with just 18% urging the LaLiga club to bring in someone else.
Real Madrid players keen for Solari to stay on, too
It's not just the supporters who have shown themselves to be in favour of Solari having his tenure in the Bernabéu dugout extended, having been handed the reins in the wake of Julen Lopetegui's sacking late last month. Although Dani Carvajal said this week that Lopetegui is "the best coach" he has had, Solari also received public backing from other members of the Madrid dressing room after Wednesday's 5-0 Champions League win away to Viktoria Plzen. "Solari should stay until the end of the season," declared Karim Benzema, for example.
Casemiro, who also started in the thumping victory in the Czech Republic, expressed similar positive sentiments when asked about the issue post-match: "People can talk about whether or not another coach is going to come in, but we're approaching our task with a lot of respect for Solari as head coach of Madrid. If things go well, why not give him the opportunity?"
Pérez has until Monday to make decision on Solari future
The final decision will be down to club president Florentino Pérez, who has until Monday to make his mind up on Solari's future as first-team boss. Spanish Football Federation rules stipulate that the 42-year-old can only be employed as interim coach for a maximum of two weeks, a period that runs out the day after Sunday's LaLiga trip to face Celta Vigo at Balaídos.
