Former Real Madrid striker Julio Baptista says his old club needs to stick with boss Rafa Benitez and not change for the sake of it.
The Brazilian, who played for club for two seasons with a loan spell at Arsenal inbetween them, spoke to AS and said stability is the key for long-term success.
In his time at the Santiago Bernabeu, Baptista played under three managers. He was signed by Vanderlei Luxemburgo who was sacked and replaced by Juan Ramon Lopez Caro. Upon his return from the Emirates Stadium, Bernd Schuster was in charge of the side.
Almost a decade later, and Madrid are going through the same situation. They sacked Carlo Ancelotti just 12 months after he guided the side to the Champions League, and now six months into his deal, Benitez looks to be hanging to his job by his fingernails.
“At Madrid if in a year you gain nothing, you don’t have to change the coach. In 2015 under Carlo Ancelotti, Madrid won nothing, but the year before won the Champions League,” Baptista said.
And he added: “Players need stability and changing the coach is no guarantee of success. You can hire the best in the world, but there are dynamics and if the players do not understand the coach, it is very difficult to achieve in the first year. I’m not saying there is a fault, but you have to look at it.”
