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Friday 4 December 2020
Spectacular heirs exchanged
Zidane fights against her real hell
By Tobias Nordmann
Real Madrid is on the brink of the Champions League. For the first time in the club’s history, the Blancos are in danger of finishing in the group stage. This should not remain without consequences for Zinedine Zidane. He is now making an urgent appeal to his team.
Past intuition may not prevail with Zinedine Zidane these days. Once, it was May 31, 2018. Five days earlier, the manager and his team had won the Champions League. For the third consecutive time. An overwhelming European dominance, achieved with a strange 3-1 win against Liverpool. It was the match that made goalkeeper Loris Karius the most tragic figure of the year. The goalkeeper has made a fatal mistake twice against Real Madrid. Months later it was revealed that he had suffered a concussion after an elbow strike from the real defensive edge Sergio Ramos. However, the medical evidence did not increase his reputation.
On May 31, 2018, Zidane finally decided: that’s enough. From now on, the team needs a new impetus to continue to be successful. We need a new approach, a different methodical work. Zidane took a step back. He surprised the club, he surprised the world of football. The Blancos, who also lost Cristiano Ronaldo, lost their minds and hearts in one fell swoop – and from then on they have outlasted competitions. Zidane’s successor, Julen Lopetegui, has failed after 14 official (!) Matches, including a grueling 1: 5 debacle in the “Clásico” against FC Barcelona. Santiago Solari did not fare much better, nor did he manage to stabilize the galactics in turmoil.
He needed a new approach, a different methodical work – so the “best coach in the world” is back. Just 284 days after his departure, Zinedine Zidane returned to command. He hired a team between disintegration and open rebellion. And even though he came out of the Corona break last season with royal perfection taken at the championship, he was not the savior that the Madrid people saw in him. And in these days, a year and a half after his return, all the euphoria has vanished. The team is making its way into the national league, but are fourth in the standings, at least ahead of their historical rivals FC Barcelona, who are also in a difficult situation, even if they still manage to go behind a game on points and goals.
“You must show character”
More threatening for Zidane’s future would be the end in the group stage of the Champions League. This has never happened before in Madrid. And it shouldn’t be without consequences for the coach. Real badly need a win against Borussia Mönchengladbach to advance safely. But first there is still a difficult away match against Sevilla FC (Saturday, 16:15 in the live ticker on ntv.de) to. And this game lifts Zidane to the mentality test for his team. “In difficult moments you have to show character,” said Zidane. “I have the strength to change the situation and I will give everything for it, just like the players.”
Zidane wants to fight, the intuition that someone else could do better, he doesn’t. After 0-2 this week in the premier class at Shakhtar Donetsk, he ruled out an early start. I will not quit at all, “he muttered into the microphone of the TV after the game,” we have to overcome this situation. “There have always been” sensitive moments “in this club.” When there is a bad phase, there is no choice but to help each other. “
In the Spanish media, however, there is already strong speculation that Zidane himself may not be enough to advance to the Champions League. And after the match against Mönchengladbach, the next match of destiny awaits the struggling coach with Derby Madrileno against Atlético. These were “the worst moments” for Zidane in Madrid, writes the sports newspaper “AS”. How easy it is with which he won the three Champions League titles as a real coach? Far away.
In the analysis of the crisis, however, the planning of the club’s personnel is also at the center: Real have not yet managed to compensate for the loss of Ronaldo. Eden Hazard (who arrived from Chelsea before last season), who was supposed to play the central figure, has not yet succeeded. The Belgian has recorded almost as many injuries (nine) as goals and assists (ten) in Madrid in a year and a half. Furthermore, key positions have not been held for years. The successors of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric or Sergio Ramos have not been established. Instead of fresh greed, there is a lot of satiety in the (still luxurious) team. According to “Marca”, parts of it should have lost faith in the coach.
His potential successors have already been exchanged. According to “Marca” the favorite is the former Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino. The true legend Raul should also be among the candidates. But Zidane doesn’t want to think about these things yet. He does not share the intuition that a new address is needed.
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