Real Madrid manager latest: Santiago Solari to be given 18-month contract to remain as head coach

Strong start | Solari has won all of this four games in charge of the first team
EPA/Rodrigo Jimenez
Ben Hayward13 November 2018

Real Madrid will officially announce the appointment of Santiago Solari as their full-time coach on Tuesday, with the Argentine expected to be handed an 18-month contract by president Florentino Perez.

Solari took over on an interim basis after previous boss Julen Lopetegui was sacked following the 5-1 loss to Barcelona at Camp Nou and a run of five defeats in seven games last month.

The Argentine, a former Real Madrid player who has been coaching youth sides at the club for the past five years, has won all of this four games in charge of the first team.

In his short tenure, Los Blancos beat Melilla 4-0 in the Copa del Rey, before a 2-0 win at home to Valladolid in La Liga, a 5-0 victory at Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League last week and then a 4-2 success at Celta Vigo on Sunday.

That return represents the best start by any coach in the club’s history and the 42-year-old will be confirmed as Madrid’s permanent boss after a board meeting on Tuesday afternoon.

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La Liga rules dictate that an interim coach can only be in charge for two weeks and with that time now elapsed, Real filed paperwork with the LFP on Monday to confirm the Argentine would be taking over on a full-time basis.

Reports in Spain say the ex-Madrid, Atletico, Inter Milan and River Plate midfielder will be given a contract for the rest of this season and one more, taking him through to the end of the 2019-20 campaign.

The club had considered an official presentation for their new coach, but are likely to announce the decision in a statement because Solari speaks to the media ahead of matches anyway.

Real Madrid’s next game is away to Eibar in La Liga on November 24.