Former Real Madrid manager among top candidates for Real Sociedad job

Real Sociedad are on the hunt for a new manager for the first time in over six years, after the exit of Imanol Alguacil was announced on Wednesday at the end of the season. Alguacil is the second-longest serving manager in La Liga after Diego Simeone.

Alguacil was the one that made the decision in the end, choosing to bring to an end his enormously successful spell at Anoeta. However it does thrust La Real into a state of flux, with Sporting Director Roberto Olabe already leaving this summer too. The dream target to replace Aguacil is former player Xabi Alonso, but with the Bayer Leverkusen manager the number one target for Real Madrid, it seems a remote possibility.

Two top targets have emerged for the role though. As per Marca, President Jokin Aperribay is most keen on former Spain and Real Madrid manager Julen Lopetegui, who has a reputation and is from Gipuzkoa. He also came through the academy at Zubieta as a player. However Girona manager Michel Sanchez is also one of the favourites, with a similar style of play to Alguacil, and has a €2m release clause. Another option is B team manager Sergio Francisco, who has performed well with the youth sides, but is not expected to be amongst the favourites.

It is added by MD that Jagoba Arrasate is another name that is cited as an unlikely but possible option, with admirers in the director’s box. Arrasate’s first job at the top level was with La Real, and he has proven his value at Osasuna and RCD Mallorca, but he appears to be committed to the latter.

Lopetegui would certainly be a departure from what Alguacil has based his sides on, and generally he has less of a record of blooding youth players, one of the foundations of their success in recent years. Michel seems a more logical succession stylistically, but the collapse at Girona in the second half of the season may colour his candidacy differently than may have been the case in January.