Solari took Madrid to third in the Liga Santander and into the semifinals of the Copa del Rey, but following a 3-1 win away to Atletico Madrid on Feb 8, things fell apart for his side.

Real Madrid suffered from a 2-1 defeat to Girona followed by a 3-0 loss to Barca, which knocked them out of the Copa del Rey, and a 1-0 defeat to Barca which saw them drop 12 points off the pace in the league. Finally last Tuesday's 4-1 humiliation to Ajax ended their interest in the Champions League and effectively sealed Solari's fate as coach.