Have Real contacted Antonio Conte post Lopetegui struggles?
What's the story
Spanish giants Real Madrid have, reportedly, contacted former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte for the managerial position.
Los Blancos had appointed Julen Lopetegui as their boss in the summer, but are thinking of giving him the axe after a disastrous start to the 2018-19 campaign.
Conte is available after being sacked by Chelsea in the summer.
Here is more on the same.
Career
Conte has been a successful manager
According to reports in Italian outlets Sportitalia and Corriere dello Sport, Real are interested in getting hold of Conte, who has won a host of trophies in his career.
Conte was a revelation at Juventus, where he enjoyed a successful stint.
The Italian also won the Premier League in his debut season at Stamford Bridge and won the FA Cup last season.
Dispute
Conte could end dispute with Chelsea for Real job
Conte is currently involved in a reported €10 million pay dispute with Chelsea.
But if Real offer him a job, he could end the dispute.
Real Madrid job is one of the most prestigious positions in the world.
Zinedine Zidane won three successive Champions League titles before leaving this summer.
Conte will be expected to bring success, a challenge he will relish.
Crisis
Real in a crisis period at the moment
Real lie on fourth spot in league table after 8 games and have already suffered two losses.
Real entered the international break after losing thrice in four matches across all competitions.
They also failed to score in any of these 4 matches to highlight a serious issue.
Julen is also believed to have lost the dressing room with mid-fielder Toni Kroos criticizing his tactics.
Key phase
Key period await Real Madrid
Real will be up against Levante and Viktoria across two competitions before travelling to Barcelona in a crunch El Clasico battle.
Julen could be on the line during this key spell.
If he fails to revive the fortunes, he could lose the job.
An interesting phase awaits the likes for Real, Conte and Julen.
Fans will be hoping things fall in place.