Zinedine Zidane Will Have Every Chance For Success At Real Madrid

While given no real chance to succeed at Real Madrid, Rafa Benitez is also not the teacher’s pet. That role belongs to Zinedine Zidane, perhaps rightly so. Zidane takes over as coach in the middle of La Liga title contention and just before knockout play in the Champions League. However, he may not feel much pressure as club president Florentio Perez will give Zidane every resource he needs to succeed.

The real mystery is why Zidane did not take over this past summer. He has been waiting in the wings for the club since 2009. Zidane has been a favorite of the club since his playing days, but when you score the winning goal in the Champions League final in your first year with a team there is a legacy automatically built. Zidane is one of the best footballers ever. He won FIFA World Player of the Year for the third time while in Madrid. His final season ended without a trophy, but he scored his first hat-trick against Sevilla in 2006.

Perez brought Zidane to Real Madrid for a then-record fee in 2001, so it is safe to say that Zidane built up plenty of cache. While back with Madrid in various positions, Zidane worked with Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti. He has been coaching the feeder team, which is currently in second place in their group of Segunda B, and been with the club in some administrative capacity since 2009.

Many managers have gone through Real Madrid under Perez, so Zidane’s staying power is unprecedented. Zidane knows the ins and outs of the club, and he knows Perez. The club has some of the biggest stars in the game on the roster and plenty of money to go get more.

With a longer leash than most managers in modern football, Zidane is set up for success.