Question marks emerge on Raúl's Real Madrid management credentials
Raúl's Real Madrid Castilla side are in free-fall and are without a win since 8 January as they languish above the relegation zone in the Primera RFEF.
With 550 appearances for 'Los Blancos' during an illustrious career at the Santiago Bernebéu, Raúl Gonzalez Blanco is a Real Madrid club legend winning six LaLiga titles and three Champions League winners medals in the famous white shirt.
Since hanging up his boots in 2015 after a season with NASL side New York Cosmos, the Madrid native moved into the coaching game taking the reins at Real Madrid Castilla, in essence the 'B' team or academy side who play in the third tier of Spanish football and for many this was this was the first step in club president Florentino Perez's master-plan that would ultimately see the former player take over as head coach with the first team.
Castilla bench
The current 2021-22 season is Raúl's third with Castilla and in his first two campaigns his side finished in seventh place (in 19/20) with his team falling short of promotion last season, as they slipped-up in the final stage of the play-off phase.
Hopes were high heading into the 2021-22 campaign but for the first time since taking over at Castilla, doubts are emerging about Raúl's trajectory in management as Castilla languish in 15th place in the Primera RFEF (Group II) table just one place above the relegation zone and without a win since 8 January.
Raúl was touted as a potential replacement last May when Zidane called time at the club but the board of directors felt that the former player still needed additional experience as a coach and opted to secure the services of Carlo Ancelotti. For many Madridistas, Raúl taking over as the occupant of the Bernabéu bench is an inevitability but for the first time in his spell as a coach, Real Madrid Castilla's recent results and displays are raising question marks within the fan-base.