REAL MADRID have two weeks to appoint a replacement for Julen Lopetegui after the underfire gaffer was sacked.
Lopetegui endured a nightmare start to life at Real having succeeded Zinedine Zidane in the summer.
And Sunday's humbling 5-1 defeat to bitter El Clasico rivals Barcelona was seen by many as the final nail in the coffin.
Real Madrid chiefs held a meeting at the Bernabeu on Monday evening to discuss plans going forward.
And the result of those talks was an announcement that Lopetegui's tenure is over.
Real Madrid Castilla boss Santiago Solari will take temporary charge now Lopetegui has been fired.
Antonio Conte, Mauricio Pochettino and Roberto Martinez have been touted as potential permanent replacements.
And Royal Spanish Football Federation rules state Real will have two weeks to make a decision.
"If a coaching vacancy occurs after the competition has started, the club will be obliged to find a new coach who is licensed for the category within a maximum time frame of two weeks," Article 60, Clause 1 states.
Real run the risk of being handed a fine if they fail to appoint a successor within two weeks.
Solari he will lead them in four matches now that he has replaced Lopetegui on an interim basis.
Real take on Melilla in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night.
And they follow up that round of 32 match by facing Real Valladolid on Saturday.
Real go head-to-head with Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League next week.
And Solari's prospective last game in temporary charge would be against Celta Vigo on November 11.
Spanish newspaper AS claim the chances of Conte being selected as Real's next boss are reducing.
And president Florentino Perez is said to favour Solari for the job full-time.