Santiago Solari, Real Madrid coach: behind the door

"Eibar showed his balls," Santiago Solari said following Real Madrid's 3-0 defeat last weekend, his first match as the Royal's official head coach. It was the first stint after the remarkable debut of the 42-year-old with the best starting coaching balance in the club's history.

Not four weeks earlier, he had provisionally taken office as the head coach of Julen Lopetegui, who was on vacation after winning four games convincingly. The decision was disappointing after names such as Antonio Conte and José Mourinho were exchanged.

For Solari, this experience is not new. In Madrid, fans never sang songs to him. Not at Atlético, where he established himself at the beginning of the millennium as a player after his departure from River Plate in the Primera División. Not even with his rival Real, where he spent five seasons in total to work faithfully in the middle of the field.

With each new employer, Argentina was always warmly welcomed at the back. As spectacular access, it was not good. He plays very well in chess, which was known to him, he likes to go to the theater and read Nietzsche. It may be almost remarkable for a footballer, but it does not give much brilliance. And in the early 2000s, no one at Real Madrid was interested in discussing Nietzsche. He was revered to the god of money.

Often neglected, never forgotten

During the first presidency of Florentino Pérez, the stars mbaded in Madrid en mbade. Captain Fernando Hierro, as well as midfielder Claude Makélélé, had to face many deserving professionals. There was no room for Solari either.

He was technically very fogged, but he was unable to reach Lúis Figo. He did not have the genius of Zinedine Zidane, let alone the glamor of David Beckham. Nevertheless, he was an important player, dribbling strong and safe, and was therefore tolerated between the "Galactic" as an additional player. And he was there when it became important.

The full-time Zidane acrobatic winner remains in the Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen in 2002. Roberto Carlos' unorthodox flank has also been etched in the memory of many football fans. The fact that this attack to the crucial goal of the game, however, was initiated with a brilliant pbad from Solari in the depth, remember the least.

He was often neglected in Madrid, they did not forget him. Ten years after his departure, Solari has been entrusted with a youth coaching post, which was a matter of honor for Real. The fact that he continued to increase only a few years was the result of his good work. The fact that he was allowed to serve the first team after the leave of Lopetegui is in line with the rules of the industry. The fact that President Pérez decided to keep him permanently in this post was very surprising.

Not even solution B

However, at Real, they had better experiences with internal solutions than with external solutions. Zidane has won three UEFA Champions League titles after being promoted to junior coach. Former national coach Lopetegui failed miserably after being engaged in major unrest with the Spanish team. The search in their own ranks seemed so understandable.

Nevertheless, the story of Zidane is hardly comparable to that of Solaris. The Argentine will know that it is not the solution for real fans and probably not even solution B for most of them. As a TV specialist and columnist, he has proven over the years that he understood football not just as a game, but also as a business.

As new coach of the first team, he quickly showed that he could operate the mechanisms. For example, when he announced in third division, DU Melilla before his first cup match, he wanted to "play with two balls". His statement was surprisingly flat for a smart man. But since the crushing defeat at Éibar, he has to present more complex solutions.

The Champions League duel with AS Roma (21 hours, stream: Dazn, live ticker SPIEGEL ONLINE) will show how Solari handles setbacks. "We know that there is a lot to be gained from previous matches to be positive," he said with promise after the debacle at Éibar. It's more like Solari. Perhaps he would rather remember Nietzsche, who said, "Obstacles and difficulties are steps in which we climb." He does not have to say it. But with the basic idea could probably convince the fans.