Zinédine Zidane is back with Real Madrid. The assignment: To usher in a new era in world football, even if the Frenchman was once part of the problem. Now he gets the opportunity to eradicate his failures - what a great opportunity.
"The best coach in the world is back in Madrid," said Real President Florentino Pérez at Zinédine Zidane's inaugural press conference. And yes, Zinédine Zidane is the best coach in the world - at least for Real Madrid these days. And the revival of the beleaguered "royals" is the most beautiful task that Zinédine Zidane has been able to do. Because Real has been on the ground since the 4-1 home defeat against Ajax-Amsterdam and the associated Champions League exit at the latest, the royal squad is showing signs of disintegration to the point of open rebellion. After an absence of 284 days, the Frenchman has now returned to "his" club and as you can read, it was laid at his feet. The Spanish press reports that the new coach has been assured absolute control over the sporting field, he alone may decide on departures and new commitments. This is a unique concession in a club from the history of Real, with a man at the helm who wants to have a say for his money.
"Heads must roll now" Real Madrid faces a major turning point
Having brought Zidane back from his sabbatical was undoubtedly a clever move by President Florentino Pérez. The fans are electrified, the anger of the past days and the criticism of the squad composition are forgotten for now. The Frenchman is not only a light figure in "Los Blancos", he is unassailable, dissatisfied players will find it harder to place their agenda with fans or the press in the future. From now on, the highly paid Edelkicker players will be playing for a future at Real. For Gareth Bale, at least, the time at Madrid should come to an end, as Zidane wanted to get rid of the Welsh player at the end of his first engagement, as the Spanish media know. The unhappy stars Marcelo and Isco were already working voluntary extra shifts on Tuesday. So the Zidane effect is already starting.
Difficult task with double bottom
"I don't see clearly that we will continue to be successful," the 1998 World Champion had said after the third Champions League triumph in a row at his farewell and thus said goodbye to a team that had reached the zenith full and in parts outdated. The Frenchman obviously had no interest in initiating and implementing a radical change in May 2018. Probably also because at that time he was tired and not equipped with the power that was now offered to him in the ultimate. He must now use it to rebuild a non-functioning squad in which too many top performers are over 30 and in which too many young games cannot (yet) contribute to the great history of the club. The celebrated returnee "only" has to save the new Champions League qualifier in the short term - and best of all, the unofficial city championship, which is likely to be difficult with five points behind Atlético Madrid.
Zizous return Zidane wants to lead Real Madrid to the top again
In the coming months, the new coach will then be able to form a new big team in relative peace and quiet, one that is entirely to his liking, and there has already been talk of three major transfers. He must prove that he can develop more young, highly talented players like Vinicius Junior and effectively integrate them into a team, as he did during his first term with Casemiro. Stars will come, stars will have to go, only Zidane decides. No compromises. It is the ultimate challenge with the ultimate possibilities at hand. It's about nothing less than starting a new era in world football from the ruins of an old one. The royals are dead, long live the royals!
Should he fail, his monument in Madrid would hardly be damaged, the Frenchman's services to the club are too important. In the last 300 days, the impression has obviously become stronger with fans and club management: They cannot do without Zidane, even though the coach handed over a team after his surprising farewell at the end of the season, whose problems were repeatedly masked by the efficiency of a Cristiano Ronaldo and which even Zidane was not (yet) able or willing to solve. The supergalactic had eight months to analyse, he was able to recharge the batteries that were empty at the end of his first term in office - he is perfectly prepared to master a great task and to finally become as big as he is playing as a coach.
