The former Madrid midfielder was one of club president Florentino Perez’s preferred options after negotiations with Antonio Conte reportedly broke down, and Laudrup was even approached about the opening, with the job available after Julen Lopetegui was sacked on Monday following Madrid’s disastrous 5-1 loss to Barcelona.
However, the Dane’s agent says Laudrup is wary of taking charge at the club in the current climate.
“Laudrup is not looking for an opportunity to coach Madrid, rather a more ideal situation to undertake such a post,” Byram Tutumlu is quoted as saying.
“Bearing in mind how things have been going at Madrid, now’s not the right moment. He doesn’t want to return to the club regardless of the circumstances.”
However, Tutumlu added that Laudrup “would be delighted to coach Real Madrid in the future”, when there is a chance of joining a more stable, long-term project.
The thinking at Madrid is that Laudrup would be a similar appointment to Zinedine Zidane, who left the club in the summer having won the Champions League three times in a row and the La Liga title in 2016/17. Like the Frenchman, Laudrup would have brought the aura of having excelled for the club during his playing career.
Laudrup has experience of managing in Spain, having spent one season at Getafe and another at Mallorca, while he’s also managed Spartak Moscow, Danish club Brondby, Swansea City, and Qatari clubs Lekhiya and Al Rayyan.
