Capello has gone from hero to villain and back to hero again in the eyes of the capricious Real supporters but his future is still far from certain despite engineering a success that seemed unlikely three months ago.

With 11 weeks to go, Real were lying five points adrift of Barcelona but an unbeaten run since then saw them grab La Liga from under the noses of their bitter rivals.

"I'm happy here. I want to carry on but that doesn't depend on me and I've got to talk to the president," said Capello after Sunday's 3-1 win over Real Mallorca clinched Real's record 30th league title.

He talked briefly last week to Real president Ramon Calderon and the two are expected to resume discussions again next week.

"We are going to talk next week. We will look at things calmly," said Calderon cautiously on Sunday.

"Capello still has two years left on his contract. Now let's enjoy this success along with everybody else, then afterwards we'll take a decision together," added Real's sporting director Pedja Milatovic.

Mijatovic played under Capello during his previous stint at the club in 1996-97, when he also led Real to the league title, and was instrumental in bringing Capello back to the club.

Capello was hailed as Real's saviour last summer after his arrival at a team which was enduring its worst barren spell for more than half a century.

He returned on the back of the success in the presidential election of Calderon and was seen as the man who could gain control of an increasingly disunited dressing room.

However, a mediocre start to the season quickly turned the Spanish media and Real's own super-critical fans against him.

In early February, there were constant rumours that Capello would resign if Real would pay him off with 15 million euros, which was the remainder of his contract in full through to 2009.

Sources close to the club told Spanish newspapers that Calderon was only prepared to pay Capello six million euros and so he stayed put.

"Capello hasn't resigned, what a shame," said the front page of Spanish sports daily As on February 20.

"But Capello is finished," added fellow Spanish newspaper Marca on the same day.

Despite being knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich, domestic results over the next month improved, but not entirely to everyone's liking.

"Capello's future depends on the result in the Nou Camp," commented As ahead of Real's game at then leaders Barcelona on March 10.

Real's reserve team coach, and 80s legend, Michel Gonzalez had apparently been lined up as a short-term replacement.

But an outstanding 3-3 draw at Barca bought Capello time and he went on to weather the storm with Real only notching up one furthe La Liga loss.

"Capello please stay," chanted Real's supporters on Sunday night. Whether Calderon heard their pleas or not, only time will tell.

If Capello does leave in the summer, he will not be the first Real coach to be shown the door after a stunning success.

German coach Jupp Heynckes was sacked just days after Real won the Champions League in 1998.

Vicente Del Bosque, who has also been mooted as a possible successor to Capello, did not have his contract renewed in the summer of 2003 despite leading Real to two Champions Leagues and two La Liga titles in his four years in charge.