Zidane, a legendary coach running after a mirage
In January 2016, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez entered into a big bet after dismissing team coach Rafael Benitez and hiring Frenchman Zinedine Zidane.
Zidane did not have enough experience, but he worked as an assistant to Carlo Ancelotti in 60 matches, in addition to working as a coach for the youth and junior teams at the Royal Club, in addition to other administrative positions.
But Zizou amazed everyone, achieved great success, and created a new legend for Real Madrid in the Champions League by winning the title thrice in 2016, 2017, and 2018. He also brought the La Liga title back to the walls of the Santiago Bernabeu in 2017 after an absence of 5 years.
Zizou surprised everyone by leaving in the summer of 2018, then returned again a few months later to save Real Madrid from drowning under the leadership of coach Julen Lopetegui, who was sacked in the middle of the 2018/19 season.
Zidane's second term with Real Madrid lasted two and a half seasons, during which the team won the league title in 2020 amid the Corona pandemic, but it ended with a zero season in 2021.
Since then, Zinedine Zidane has completely hidden himself and stayed away from the limelight. Rather, he has followed a mirage, due to which he has missed more than one new opportunity or adventure to appear on the scene.
Zidane is focused on achieving only one dream, which is to lead the French national team, and he imagines that the dream is close after the disappointing results of the Roosters under the leadership of coach Didier Deschamps in the last edition of the European Nations Championship (Euro), which was held in the summer of 2021.
However, the French Football Federation renewed confidence in Deschamps, who made up for his failure by winning the second edition of the Nations League in November 2021, then reached the final of the last World Cup in 2022, where he lost the title on penalties to Argentina after a thrilling 3-3 draw at Losail Stadium. .
The mirage intensified before Zidane's eyes with the French Football Federation's decision to renew Deschamps' contract until the next World Cup in 2026, making Zizou disappear from the limelight more and more.
Amid this mirage, major clubs in Europe sought to sign Zidane, such as Manchester United and Chelsea in England, Juventus in Italy, Paris Saint-Germain in France, and most recently Bayern Munich in Germany.
But Zidane turned his back on all these offers due to the language factor, technical instability in the level of results, or the sports management of these clubs.
The dream of leading the French national team is no longer the only mirage for Zidane, but Zizou's chances for a third term with Real Madrid are weakening from time to time.
Press reports have speculated in previous times that Zidane is a candidate to work again with Real Madrid whenever the team’s results fluctuate under the leadership of current coach Carlo Ancelotti.
But the veteran Italian coach won the challenge more than once by winning the league and Champions League titles in 2022 and getting close to a new double this season. The club management decided to renew his contract for two additional seasons until 2026 after he was close to coaching the Brazilian national team.
It is looming on the horizon that Zidane is out of Real Madrid's interest in the post-Ancelotti phase, as it is strongly reported that the Royal Club's management is currently paving the way for the use of the young Spaniard, Xabi Alonso, who dazzled everyone by leading Bayer Leverkusen to the German League title this season and breaking Bayern Munich's monopoly for 11 consecutive years.
In addition to Alonso, other names shine in the Madrid administration's eyes, such as the German Jurgen Klopp, who will leave the leadership of Liverpool at the end of the current season.
0 Comments