Bernd Schuster was sitting on the away bench at the Bernabeu as I watched his brave Getafe side go down 1-0 to Sevilla in the final of the Kings Cup, but the German is expected to be occupying the home dug-out very soon.

Although Fabio Capello officially remains coach of Real Madrid, the Spanish media are taking it for granted that Schuster will step into his shoes next week.

Opposite Schuster at the Bernabeu on Saturday was Juande Ramos, the most successful coach in Spain this season. In the past two seasons, Ramos has steered Sevilla to back-to-back triumphs in the UEFA Cup, victory in the European Super Cup and the Kings Cup and a place in the qualifying round of the Champions League after the clubs best league finish in 37 years.

You only had to take a glance at the 50,000 ecstatic Sevilla fans crammed into the Real Madrid stadium to see the impact that such success has had on the club. The Andalucians brand of fluent, intense, attacking football is admired throughout Spain and the fans are rightly proud of their team.

Strange then, that Ramos, who has yet to renew his contract with Sevilla, has not been approached by Real.

If Real do go with Schuster, self-confidence is unlikely to be a problem for the former Real, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid player.

Im glad we were picked as the away team, he said before the final. I wouldnt have liked my players to have gone into the home dressing room and seen my poster everywhere.

Schuster has done a fine job at modest Getafe but question marks remain over whether he will be able to cope with the pressures of Bernabeu hot seat.

As a player he was involved with bitter disputes with nearly every team he played for, leaving Real, Barça and Bayer Leverkusen under a cloud and calling a premature end to his international career after falling out with his team mates. As a coach he had public disputes with interfering club presidents at Xerez and Levante.

If he does get the Real job he will not only have to bring the same success as Capello but also do it in style. Anything less and he will be deemed a failure.

Simon Baskett, Madrid