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Zinedine Zidane back in Real Madrid spotlight after spell in the wings
A risky, inexperienced appointment to replace Rafael Benítez is offset by the extraordinary amount of goodwill the former Galáctico commands
Zidane is a hero at Madrid, as he is at Juventus, Bordeaux and across France. He is accustomed to pressure, used to carrying the hopes of thousands and delivering when it counts. The art of getting others to deliver for you, though, is something else altogether.The man who could do things with a football that others only dream of has been fast-tracked to the coaching zenith, replacing Rafa Benítez as Madrid manager despite a lack of experience. It is certainly a risk, for both club and coach, but one too enticing for each to ignore.
It is a significant risk in that things may not work out as intended, if Zidane struggles to bring success to the Bernabéu and rein in Barcelona and Atlético Madrid. It would be sad to see this titan felled by Florentino Pérez at some point in the future but perhaps he is held in such high regard by the club that his reverential status will remain intact whatever happens to the team under his watch. He has already targeted one trophy this season.
Zidane was at the peak of his club powers in a white shirt – winning the Spanish title and Champions League between 2001 and 2006, even if the Galácticos were not an entirely dominant force – and has spent much of his life in Madrid, five years as a player and later as a director, assistant and reserve coach.
Maybe he is the ideal man to morph a team of stars into a winning force, having shone the brightest in a team of stars himself. If anyone can walk into a dressing room and demand the respect of Cristiano Ronaldo and company, it is Zidane.
His desire to coach manifested itself only years later but, since becoming a special adviser to Madrid’s first team in 2010, his influence at the club has grown. He convinced the French centre-half Raphaël Varane to join from Lens despite interest from Manchester United, becoming the director of football and later an assistant under Carlo Ancelotti, as Madrid won the Champions League – La Decima – under the Italian.It appears that he has been primed to take this role for some time. When Zidane retired from playing after leading France to the World Cup final in 2006 – player of the tournament in Germany despite his infamous denouement – the midfielder did not intend to move into coaching. Now, however, he finds himself in one of the biggest jobs there is.
Zidane was then appointed coach of Real Madrid’s Castilla “B” team, gaining his Uefa Pro Licence in May 2015. The side are currently second in Segunda B. In 2014 the 43-year-old was handed a three-month coaching ban following a complaint from Spain’s national coaching centre because he did not hold the requisite qualifications, but the suspension was soon lifted by a Spanish court. When discussing his coaching opportunities in March last year, he said: “I’ve got time, I’m learning. I did not become the player I was in two years – it’s the same in coaching.”
Although he will undoubtedly have to learn quickly, Zidane has certainly not received a hospital pass of the sort he used to kill dead without a second thought. Madrid are third in La Liga, four points off the top, and have scored comfortably more goals than anyone in the division. Last month they beat Rayo Vallecano 10-2. They also have a last-16 tie in the Champions League next month against Roma.
However, whereas his three predecessors in the position – Benítez, Carlo Ancelotti and José Mourinho – have six European Cups between them as coaches, Zidane has his reputation, a romantic allure and the brief experience he has garnered with the reserves. But his appointment may earn some favour for Pérez among supporters, with some comparing Madrid’s decision to look within as similar to Barcelona’s appointment of Pep Guardiola in 2008 after a spell honing coaching skills with the reserves.
As the announcement was made on Monday evening, Zidane looked calm and hungry for the task. Pérez told him: “I know that for you the word ‘impossible’ doesn’t exist.”
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