The odds on Roberto Martinez being named the next manager of Real Madrid have been cut again this morning.
Julen Lopetegui was sacked in the wake of a poor start to the season which culminated in an embarrassing 5-1 defeat against hated rivals Barcelona on Sunday.
The current Belgium national manager has been a major mover in the market since it emerged that former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte ruled himself out of the running for the post. It was widely reported that Conte was a shoo-in for the post and last week he agreed a compensation deal with Chelsea which freed him up to walk straight into another job. But negotiations stalled and Conte then declared himself out of the race on Wednesday.
Real Madrid placed Santiago Solari in interim charge but the feeling among some Spanish pundits and journalists is that he doesn't have the experience or personality to deal with the big names in the dressing room. He is currently favourite to be named the club's next manager though some expect this will only be until the end of the season, giving them the opportunity to sound out more potential candidates.
With Conte out of the picture, Martinez has seen his odds slashed to 2/1 according to theSackrace.com. The former Wigan Athletic, Swansea and Everton boss earned plenty of admirers after guiding Belgium to the semi-finals of the World Cup in Russia. Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has already recommended Martinez as a potential future boss though he made the comment when Lupetegui was still in a job. The odds on former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger taking the Real job have also been significantly shortened.
