Why Michael Laudrup won’t be staying at Swansea

Just over a week after leading Swansea to their first ever major trophy and speculation remains high over the future of manager Michael Laudrup.

After his Capital One Cup victory, Laudrup reiterated that he did not fancy joining a big club only to be fired after nine months for not winning any trophies, but a call from Florentino Perez would be impossible for Laudrup to refuse.

A recent poll among Real Madrid fans over who should succeed Jose Mourinho saw the Swansea manager receive 72% of the vote, but a Champions League win from the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ could ultimately scupper the Danish manager’s chance of a return to the Bernabeu.

The Swansea manager remains under contract at the Liberty Stadium until the end of next season and although the club are keen to offer Laudrup a 12 month contract extension, Swans chairman Huw Jenkins has confirmed that the board have been preparing for Laudrup’s exit.

Jenkins has been scrupulously looking “at different teams and how they play, different managers and if they have the right backgrounds to suit us”, but the forward-thinking chairman has never stood in the way of Laudrup’s predecessors from taking roles at more prestigious clubs.

Laudrup’s managerial career began with promise in Spain with Getafe, after leading Azulones to the final of the Copa del Rey and the quarter finals of the UEFA Cup.
A managerial stint in Russia with Spartak Moscow was possibly ill-advised, but a return to La Liga with Mallorca quickly saw Laudrup retain los Bermellones’s top flight status, despite being forced to sell a number of their leading stars.

Laudrup resigned from Mallorca in 2011 after assistant Erik Larsen was acrimoniously sacked by the club and the opportunity to manage in the Premier League with Swansea proved too good to turn down.

A 5-0 win at Loftus Road on the opening day of the season hinted at things to come, but it was the signing of Michu that immediately caught the eye.

Laudrup has been widely praised for his transfer dealings over the summer and his knowledge of the Spanish transfer market was key in the signings of Michu, Chico, Jonathan de Guzman and Pablo Hernandez.

A top-eight finish now appears to be the aim for the Swansea manager whose concentration and focus will be closely monitored by potential suitors. Laudrup could enjoy the prudent backing of his chairmen next season along with a stint in the Europa League, but a fresh challenge and the draw of La Liga remain obvious attractions for the Danish manager.

Five years ago Laudrup missed out on the job at Panathinaikos because the club would not allow him the option to leave should an offer from a La Liga club come in and although there is nothing to suggest that a similar clause has been inserted into his contract at Swansea, an understanding with Jenkins could be in place to allow Laudrup to return to Spain.