By Joao Cunha
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When Zidane left the Bernabeu back in 2018 he seemed relieved to have left. It seemed the club had drained him to the point of burnout, in fact he used the wod “desgaste” in the press conference to signify the fact he was worn-out. But why was he actually burned out? To many it made no sense at the time. After all he had just won the Champions League the biggest trophy in club football just 5 days before his resignation. The Champions League IS the symbol of Real Madrid and Zidane had delivered that title 3 straight seassons running. He had also won a La Liga in 2017, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 2 Club World Cups, and 1 Spanish Super Cup. The club had enough resources to rebuild as their average net spend was very low for the last few seasons. To an outsider it seemed like a strange decision, even wiht the impending exit of Cristiano Ronaldo, the club had more than enough talent and resources to keep winning. So why did he feel so tired?
There are many factors of course but knowing what we know now, it wasn’t because he didn’t want to rebuild. He came back less than 10 months later to inherit a mess of a team that would win no major titles in 2019. It wasn’t because of Ronaldo’s departure as he took over the club without the star of Madrid’s modern dynasty. It might have been tow things in my opinion. First Zidane might actually have needed to rest as the job he had was highly stressful and he needed the time to recharge. The other theory I have is that Zifane was dissatisfied with the culture of the club focusing solely on the Champions League. In that press conference he stated several times his proudest achievement at Real Madrid was winning the 2017 league title. It wasn’t ant of the Champions League titles, not any of the cups some over Barca and Atlrico the club’s rivals, it was the league that measured whether you were the best club in Zidane’s eyes. Real Madrid as an institution while they like winning La Liga don’t view it with that kind of importance. The first thing you see on the top of the club’s website is the number 13 with the Champions League logo, that title was won 2 years ago. Real Madrid who won the league less than 2 weeeks ago don’t have number 34 on the top of the screen. The club LOVEs the Champions League and that attachment causes issues in other areas. While Real Madrid have won 4 Champsions League titles since 2009 they have won the league prior tot this season just twice. They have had 3 thrid-place finishes since 2013 and that is not good enough for Real Madrid and Zidane. In 2018, Zidane finished 3rd in La Liga with Real Madrid and as the defeats piled up he grew more tired of the poor results as the season dragged on. Even after Real lifted the Champions League in Kiev, Zidane had the look of someone who was uneasy. He seethed at Real Madrid finishing 18 points behind Barcelona, and he said that the club had to improve in the league even before his exit. The club needed to change and before the transformation, there needed to be failure.
Real Madrid in 2018-19 were nothing short of a chaotic mess. They lost 5-1 and 1-0 to Barcelona in La Liga. They had lost to Atletico Madrid 4-2 in the UEFA Super Cup, and hammered 3-0 inj the sem-finals of the Copa del Rey to Barcelona. The worst was yet to come as they had won 2-1 at Ajax in the first leg of the Round-of-16 tie, all they had to do is avoid defeat to reeach the quarter-finals. Real Madrid were taught a lesson losing 4-1 at home and losing their chance to defend their title in humbling fashion. A scant Club World Cup victoty over Al-Ain did little to hide the pain of a horrendous season. Real Madrid finished 19 points behind champions Barcelona with onlyy 68 points, which was the club’s worst points total in 16 years. T^hey also suffered a staggering 11 league defeats which was more than the previous two seasons combined. The team withour Cristiano Ronaldo only managed to score 63 league goals which was their lowest goal totoal in nearly 20 years. They couldn’t defend either as they shipped more goals than any season in 11 years. Real Madrid were a rudderless ship and Zidane was in the middel of the mess. He took over in March 2019 and presided over the last 11 league which he only won 5 and no wins away from home. The preseason was humbling as Real lost 7-3 to rivals Atletico in a friendly, they had won just 2 games all preseason and looked set for another terrible season. Until Zidane changed the culture with another humilatiuon.
The 3-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in September 2018 was the turning point of Zidane’s second spell. They were a mess defensively, looked toothless in attack, and lacked energy in midfield. Zidane if he didn’t turn this around would be fired soon. It was coming, with the rumors of Mourinho or Pochettino in overdrive in Madrid. Something needed to change. With all these failures, Zidane finally had the players in a place to convince them of their mentality. Instead of being a high-scoring team, they would be a defense-first side. Instead of only caring about the Champions League they would show up every single game and make La Liga THe priority this season. With this mind he made two crucial changes, he made new signing Ferland Mendy a starter in big games for defensive solidity, and he made Fede Valverde an undisputed starter. The next game after the PSG debacle, Real won 1-0 at Sevilla and were first in La LIga and their season was never the same from there.
Real Madrid by taking Zidan’e desire to win La Liga to heart went on and accomplished the feat. Real Madrid in the first half of the season suffered only one league defeat at Mallorca and had been in a close title race with Barcelona. They beat Barcelona 2-0 at home to gain a one-point edge on their rivals just to lose at Betis a week later which infuriated Zidane. That could have unraveled the team as that was their 2nd league defeat in 3 games, 4 defeats in the last 6 games and the season could have been so different. But Covid-19 would stop league games the next week and the entire world was flipped on its head. At that moment it looked unlikely that football would return at all that season, and it was the least of anyone’s concerns fior a while. A few months La Liga did restart with Real Madrid kmnwing they had to basically win out to have a shot of winning La Liga. Real Madrid fresh and rested from the break took full advantage winning 10 consecutive games to win a historic 34th league title. They won 2-1 at home to Villareal on the second to last day of the season with Benzema scoring both goals. Zudabe had done it, he transformed a Champions League dynasty into players who were willing to adapt to win a Le Liga. He did it with the same core of players who won the 2018 Cgampions League, with the exceptions of Navas and Ronaldo who both left the club. The top-10 miost used players included: Benzema, Kroos, Casemiro, Varane, Ramos, Carvajal, Modric, Isco, and Marcelo who were all vital parts of Real Madrid’s success over previous years. Combined with the form of Thibaut Courtouis and the crucial additions of Mendy, Militao, Hazard to add something new to the team and the success is easier to understand. But Zidane’s use of young players like Vinicuus Junior, Rodrygo, Marco Asensio, Valverde were the difference as they were the energy required to keep a veteran team motivated throughout the season. Vinicus Junior scored the winner against Barcelona, Rodrygo provided energy and pace when neeeded, Asesnsio scored three goals after recovering from his injury, and Valverde provided the legs to aging midfield. Bit=part players like Bale, James, Mariano, Jovic, Lucas Vasquez, Areola, and Nacho all played crucial roles in mathces as well. It was a squad effort as 21 different players scored Real Madrid’s 70 league goals in 10-20. But the key improvement was defemsive as Real Madrid allowed only 25 league goasl the fewest in La Liga. That was the Real’s best defense since the 1980’s and Courtois won the Zamora triphy which is the fist time a Real Madrid goalkeeper won it since 2008. The back four of Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, and Mendy are exceptional defensively so much so they are the best defense in Europe’s top 5 leagues. Zidane with his tatical acumen changed the best offensive side in Europe to the best defensicve side in less than two seasons. That shows his verstaility as manager and his desire to win things. In addtion Real Madrid won the Spanish Super Cup beating Atletico 4-1 on penalites afer a 0-0 draw. It was the first time Real Madrid had won the Supercup and La Liga in the same season since 1989-19990. They are still in the Champions League although they have overturn a 2-1 deficit in Manchester in a few weeks. However Real Madrid seem to have their swagger back and a new identity is forming one that takes winning the league seriously once again.
Real Madrid didn’t always take the Champions League this seriously as they have in the last 22 years. Winning the league was the priority for the club and European success was wanted but not obessed over. However the 32-year Champions League drought changed everything and the club was haunted by their constant failure in Europe despite their domestic success. Michel a star player on the famous Quinta del Buitre side that won five straight league titles once rematrked that their achivements would oinly be appreciated over time. people crushed that team for not lifting the European Cup but Michel’s words rung true, as Real only won back-to-back league titles once since 1990. Zidane is here to change that and make Real the dominant force in Spain again just like they were under the Quinta team. Hell just like they were from 1994-2008, where Real Madrid won 6 La Liga championships in 14 seasons, Since then over the last 12 seasons only three league titles have been won, two of which have been in the last fourr seasons won by none other than Zinedine Zidane. This elageue form affected so many taboos that Zidane had to break this season. Let me name them.
First Real Madrid team this century to not lose to a single team in the top-10 of La Liga.
First Real Madrid side to beat Atletico in La Liga since 2012-13.
Fist Real sude ti beat Barcelona in a home league clasico since 2014-15.
Real won at Sevilla for the first time in 5 years (2014-15)
Eeal Madrid finished a season unbeaten at home for the first time since 2012-13.
Real Madrid won 10 straight league games in a single league campaign for the firs time ib 8 years (11-12 season)
It was the first time Real hadn’t lost to either Barca or Atletico in a league season in 7 seasons (2012-13) and it was the forst time they won a league not losing to their rivals since 2007-08
Biggest point improvement between last season and the current season since 2009 to 2010 which was 79 to 96 points, this season it was 68 points to 87 points which is actually 2 points higher than the 2009 improvbement with 19 points.
Real Madfrid had the best defense in La Liga on a title=winning team for only the second time this century, the last time being 2007-08.
The amount of negative stats Zidane had to overcome is an indictment on the club’s mentality regarding the league over the years. If you can be the best team in Europe 5 times since 2014 you shouln’t lose that often to Barca. Attletico in the league.. You shouldn’t lose that often at home asReal have done, you should be better defensively as well. With the decline of Barcelona and Atletico the league should become easier to win. However only a hungry, motivated Real Madrid side will take advantage of it. With Zidane at the helm the league has become the objective at the club. Valdano once stated that at Real, “the summit is the European Cup” but it cannot be the ONLY summit. There has to be more than just that to measure success, and Zidane is trying to change that. He cried on the day Madrid won the leagee, he seemed truly happy at this feat. Much happier than winning three straight Champions League titles, because he thinks its the start of a new era at Real Madrid. An era where the mountain top is a 38 game-league marathon and not a 13-game cup run. An era where consistency reigns over brilliant uncertainty. 2019-20 is the start of Zidane’s Real Madrid the one in his actual image, tough, talented, and consistently excellent.
realtakesite 