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Jose Mourinho's possible departure from Real Madrid at the end of the season would leave club president Florentino Perez in a tricky position as he seeks an adequate replacement for the man he has constantly lauded as "the best coach in the world".
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Obsessed with winning the 10th continental crown that has eluded Real since 2002, construction magnate Perez hired the controversial Portuguese at great expense in 2010 after he led Inter Milan to the Champions League title.
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After Tuesday's elimination from Europe's elite club competition by Borussia Dortmund, when Real narrowly failed to overturn a 4-1 deficit in their semifinal second leg at the Bernabeu, Mourinho dropped his strongest hint yet that his time in the Spanish capital is drawing to a close.
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Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos scored late goals to give Real hope but they fell just short and Dortmund went through to the May 25 final 4-3 on aggregate.
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Asked after the game if he would stay on next term - he has a contract until 2016 - Mourinho told ITV Sport: "Maybe not. I don't know but I want to be where people love me to be."
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At a later news conference he added: "I am loved by some clubs, especially one (Chelsea). In Spain it is different, some people hate me, many of you in this (press) room."
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Mourinho's reference to Chelsea appeared to give credence to recent reports saying he is poised to return to the London club where he won Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006 but came up short in the Champions League.
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If he does leave Real at the end of the season, he will have led them to one La Liga title, when they set a record points tally, and, if they beat Atletico Madrid in this month's final, two King's Cups.
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It is a decent record by most standards but at Real it is success in Europe that counts above all else and on that score he has disappointed, suffering elimination in the Champions League semifinals for the past three seasons.