Bookmakers have suspended betting Real Madrid axing coach Julen Lopetegui after their latest disappointment.
Real’s disastrous start to the new season under Lopetegui continued on Saturday with a 2-1 home loss to Levante – their fourth defeat in five games.
Lopetegui, who only succeeded Zinedine Zidane in the summer, is now under huge pressure – but he refused to talk about his future after the game.
“My job? Right now that’s the last thing on my mind. I have to lift the players for a very important game on Tuesday (against Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League),” he said.
“I believe we clearly deserved to win the match. Football is what you make of it, the team who scores the most goals wins.
“We have to sit down and think about what we are doing badly, to change the momentum. The goal is not coming. We have to insist and not worry, the team have done many things well.
“My players don’t deserve this punishment, we have a Champions League game and we have to recover.”
However, it remains to be seen if Lopetegui will be in charge next week with former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte firm favourite to succeed him.
“The defeat at home to Levante could be the last straw for Lopetegui at Real Madrid therefore we have pulled the plug on betting on his future,” said Coral’s John Hill.
“It has been all one-way traffic for Antonio Conte in the next Real Madrid manager market, while Mauricio Pochettino and Arsene Wenger are both at the top end of the betting,” added Hill.