Real Madrid coach Juande Ramos admits the Spanish champions are no longer one of Europe's elite clubs following their 6-2 drubbing by Barcelona on Saturday and the result casts further doubt oh whether he will be entrusted with the task of restoring Real to past glories.

The league now looks over

for double champions Real as Barca are seven points ahead with just four games left and the Barca humiliation, coupled with the embarrassing 5-0 aggregate loss to Liverpool in the last 16 of the Champions League, have put a question mark over Ramos.

The former Sevilla coach was handed a sixmonth contract in mid-December after replacing Bemd Schuster and has won 17 out of his 20 league games but that may still not be enough to persuade the club to keep him on.

"I think Barcelona are a cut above and showed that they were superior," said Ramos. "I am not frustrated at not beating Barca, Liverpool or Atletico Madrid. Those results tell us the level we are currently at.

"The big European teams have overtaken us and we have to recognise this although obviously it hurts."

Real may have won back to back league titles but since 2004 the record nine-time European champions have failed to get past the quarterfinal stage of the Champions League and were outclassed by Liverpool this season.

It is back to the drawing board for Real and there could be some departures in the summer with some deadwood shifted and new faces brought in.

The presidential elections are scheduled for this summer, with June 14 put forward as a possible date, and the victor is likely to decide the direction of the club in terms of coach and players.

Former president Florentino Perez has been one name mentioned - although he has still to confirm if he will run in the election - and has cited Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger as his ideal coach.

Wenger has given no indication of his desire to swap London for Madrid and Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, who used to work as a youth coach at Real, has said that he couldn't work at Real as the coach doesn't have a major say on transfers.

Ramos, rebuilding his reputation after a disastrous spell at Tottenham Hotspur, has so far refused to talk about his future saying it will be decided at the end of the season but will know Real's penchant for changing coaches.

In the last six seasons Real have had eight coaches while Barcelona have had just two in Frank Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola.