Real Madrid legend Raul Gonzalez was heavily considered for the Villarreal job this week, but now finds himself in a worse position after the move failed to materialise.
Villarreal were on the lookout for a new manager and eyed up the former striker as a candidate to replace Quique Setien.
However, the Yellow Submarine opted to hire former Real Valladolid manager Pacheta, and this has left Raul in limbo.
Real Madrid had given him permission to speak to Villarreal over the role, and reports suggested that he was willing to accept it. Raul is currently the manager of Real Madrid Castilla and has been in charge since 2019.
Alvaro Arbeloa was lined up to replace Raul if he departed, but questions remained over Raul if he were to take the job. It seems that Carlo Ancelotti will depart this summer, and an internal promotion to the main job could have been on the cards for the Spanish legend.
However, SPORT have now revealed that Raul is not a frontrunner to take the Real Madrid job this summer, with Arbeloa, Xabi Alonso and Zinedine Zidane ahead of him in the pecking order.
A missed opportunity
The Villarreal job could have seen Raul take his first job as a senior manager, at one of La Liga’s top sides.
Villarreal are competing in the Europa League, and Raul could have followed the path of Alonso, who has found success as manager of Bayer Leverkusen.
This could have given him a top opportunity at a good club, and if he succeeded, this could have prepared him to eventually take the main job at the Santiago Bernabeu.
An opportunity like this may not arise again, and with Raul not in the frame for the job this summer, as well as having Arbeloa potentially breathing down his neck at Castilla, he now finds himself in a worse position than he did a few days ago.