Short stories: 5 fleeting tenures at the helm of Real Madrid

The managerial carousel at Real Madrid spat out its latest victim Monday, as Rafael Benitez finds himself in the unemployment line less than a quarter of the way into the three-year contract he signed in June.

Those surprised by the decision will be hard to find considering the club's history of impatience, particularly under president Florentino Perez.

Benitez wasn't completely incompetent during his 25 games in charge, as he guided Real to a first-place finish in its Champions League group and oversaw several dominant performances that truly showed the damage the team's elite attacking unit was capable of inflicting. However, his failure to collect more than a single point against the top four La Liga teams led to his demise.

Related: Rafa Benitez sacked as manager of Real Madrid, replaced by Zinedine Zidane

Now the attention shifts to club legend Zinedine Zidane, and whether his feats on the pitch will afford him a longer leash on the touchline as he enters his first senior managerial role.

Here's a collection of managers who can relate to Benitez and his abrupt end as Real Madrid manager:

Arsenio Iglesias (1996)

Following three separate stints at Deportivo La Coruna, Arsenio Iglesias, 65, decided to call it a career. That lasted until halfway through the following season, when Real Madrid came knocking. Iglesias ultimately failed to produce the desired results and was gone after 21 matches in charge of a Real outfit that failed to earn qualification for either European competitions following its sixth-place finish.

Carlos Queiroz (2003-04)

Carlos Queiroz followed in the footsteps of David Beckham to Madrid after working with the English midfielder at Manchester United for a season as an assistant. He went on to have a relatively successful start to his career, but was dismissed 10 months into his two-year deal, and his failure to capture more than just the Spanish Supercup.

Jose Antonio Camacho (2004)

It's hard to even describe Jose Antonio Camacho's tenure at Real Madrid as brief. He clearly saw the writing on the wall after the team's disappointing league position, and resigned after just six (!) games at the helm. While he should be proud of his 400 appearances as a Real defender, Camacho now holds the record for fewest games in charge as the club's manager.

Mariano Garcia Remon (2004)

Mariano Garcia Remon was appointed manager following Camacho's dismissal - his teammate for 13 years - and was subsequently fired after just over 100 days on the job.

Real Madrid found itself in search of its third manager by the time Christmas rolled around, as Remon sits behind Camacho for the record of fewest games in charge, with 20.

Juande Ramos (2008-09)

Life was good for Juande Ramos after getting Real Madrid off to a blistering start at the Santiago Bernabeu. The former Tottenham gaffer, however, failed to maintain the team's dominant start during an 18-match run that saw it collect 52 of a possible 54 points. His downfall was triggered by a humiliating 6-2 loss at home to Barcelona - the first of five straight losses to end his first, and last, season in charge of Los Blancos.