Upon sacking Carlo Ancelotti as Real Madrid coach, club president Florentino Perez offered the solace that the 10th boss of his reign in charge will be named next week.
Moments later when questioned by the press if the new coach would be a native speaker, Perez agreed it "would be very good if he speaks Spanish."
That confirmation has eliminated any doubt that remained among the Spanish media that the next man to face the task of living up to Perez's highest of standards will be current Napoli boss Rafael Benitez.
The 55-year-old is expected to take charge of his final game at the Stadio San Paolo before his contract expires on Sunday when Napoli host Lazio in effectively a playoff for the third Champions League spot in Serie A.
"Rafa Benitez is 99 percent certain to be Real Madrid coach," Ancelotti's agent Ernesto Bronzetti told Italian television station RAI on Monday.
The decision has been likened to Perez's sacking of Spain manager Vicente del Bosque in 2003 despite having won La Liga and just a year after winning the Champions League.
Ironically it was as Del Bosque's assistant that a fledgling Benitez took his first steps in management as Real's B team coach and assistant to Del Bosque when he took temporary charge for the final four months of the 1993-94 season.
"It is not my decision," said Del Bosque in his usual languid style in announcing his latest Spain squad on Tuesday.
"The person that has to make that decision will bring in the best coach, but he (Benitez) is among the best."
It is another twist of fate that Ancelotti's sacking came 10 years to the day since arguably the most memorable match of his and Benitez's managerial career as the latter's Liverpool came from 3-0 down at half-time to beat Ancelotti's AC Milan on penalties in the Champions League final in Istanbul.
Yet, Benitez's lack of major trophies since means there are plenty of doubters as to whether he is the right man to deliver on the expectations of the world's most expensively assembled squad.
One FA Cup with Liverpool, a Europa League in a short stint at Chelsea and a Coppa Italia with a Napoli side that has gone backwards in the past two years is not a CV that leaves most Madrid fans convinced.
However, arguably his best work came during his last job in Spain over a decade ago in winning two league titles and the UEFA Cup with Valencia.
Having angered the players and fans with Ancelotti's dismissal, Perez now must hope Benitez is just as successful on his return home to ward off serious questions over his competency to continue leading the world's richest club.