Real Madrid reportedly wouldn't need any clearance from Chelsea if they were to appoint their former manager Antonio Conte as a successor to Julen Lopetegui.
According to Sky Sports, "Conte would be free to take over at Real Madrid as far as any contractual obligations with Chelsea are concerned" as the termination deal he signed with the Blues is said to only be binding in relation to English clubs.
As such, if Madrid were to axe under-pressure manager Lopetegui, they would be free to approach Conte, who was sacked by the Premier League side in the summer and replaced by Maurizio Sarri.
It was reported earlier this week by Calciomercato (h/t Football Espana) that if Conte was to be appointed by the European champions, they would need to pay a fee of €10.8 million to release him from his contract with the Blues. It's said the Italian is still being paid the final year of the three-year deal he signed in 2016 at Stamford Bridge.
Sky Sports have also recently reported that Conte has already been approached by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez in regards to taking over at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Lopetegui's team may have won against Viktoria Plzen in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, but their La Liga form has been appalling, with Saturday's 2-1 loss at home to Levante a nadir for the team.
They go into Sunday's showdown with Barcelona at home down in sixth position.
According to Kaveh Solhekol of Sky Sports News, Conte is ready to come back to football after leaving the Blues in the summer:
Conte has major pedigree as a manager, having enjoyed success during stints with Juventus, Italy and then Chelsea.
At Juve he steered the team to three Serie A titles, while at Chelsea he won the Premier League in his debut term and the FA Cup last season. Nevertheless, the Blues opted for a change of direction after the team failed to qualify for the Champions League after finishing fifth.
Although Real have looked like a team in need of the fire and organisation Conte has been renowned for, it doesn't appear as though his appointment at the Santiago Bernabeu would be popular with all the players.
According to El Pais (h/t Football Espana), goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who moved from Chelsea to Madrid this summer, has expressed his concern to the dressing room about any possible appointment.
Broadcaster Rebecca Watkins joked she would like to see the pair link up again:
At the moment, the position of Lopetegui does appear to be perilous and it'd be a shock if a poor result in the Clasico didn't result in his departure.
If Madrid are looking for a proven coach who is out of work, Conte could be the perfect option, especially given there may be plenty of time to still salvage something from 2018-19.
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