Real Madrid News
Zidane backs Real Madrid new signing to succeed at the club: “He’s ready”
Speaking in an interview with Telefoot (h/t Mundo Deportivo), Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane has claimed that Jude Bellingham is ready to play for the club and has tipped him for a great future in the game.
Bellingham signed for Real Madrid earlier this month after a long-drawn pursuit. The 19-year-old cost the Merengues €103 million plus close to €30 million in add-ons.
Upon arriving at the club, the England international took Zidane’s former No. 5 shirt, having claimed that the Frenchman is his idol.
Now, the former Real Madrid midfielder and manager has gone on to lavish praise on the club’s new signing, backing him to succeed at the Santiago Bernabeu and make it big in the game.
“He is an important player, he is a player with a great future and he is ready to play for Real Madrid. I was with him watching the Champions League final in Paris against Liverpool,” Zidane said.
The 51-year-old also had words of praise for his fellow Real Madrid legends Karim Benzema and Luka Modric, stating that they are the kind of footballers who make him jump off his seat.
“If there’s one player who gets me out of my chair, it’s Karim Benzema. Maybe Luka Modric too, players who, when they have the ball, you think they’re going to lose it, but no, they always manage to get away with it,” the 2006 World Cup finalist said.
During the interview, Zidane also spoke about his compatriot Kylian Mbappe, who has been heavily linked with a summer transfer to Real Madrid. The French manager stated that he wishes to see the 24-year-old win a lot of trophies as well as the Ballon d’Or.
“I hope one day he wins the Ballon d’Or and I hope he wins a lot of titles. What he does is fantastic for the French national team and for PSG, his club. I’m a fan of Mbappe,” Zidane stated.
There have been talks of the 51-year-old returning to Real Madrid next year when Carlo Ancelotti’s contract expires. When asked if he is misses the day-to-day of management, he replied:
“Do I miss the adrenaline of training at the highest level? Yes, of course, I do. When you’re away, you see it in a different way. I haven’t had it for two years, but it will come.”
In a major update, AS reports that former Real Madrid midfielder and club legend Toni Kroos has taken his first step towards starting his coaching career.
The former Germany international has told the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) that he is interested in joining the coaching course reserved for professional footballers.
Real Madrid tried to bring Kroos back
It is no secret that Real Madrid considered bringing Toni Kroos back into the club’s structure after the end of the last season.
The club president, Florentino Perez, had wanted Kroos to have a daily presence at Valdebebas rather than making occasional appearances after his retirement.
Jose Angel Sanchez and Kroos spoke after Perez expressed his desire to see the German working at Valdebebas every day. However, they did not find the right moment, time or structure to give his return a clear form.
A comeback remains one of the possibilities most desired by Madrid supporters because of Kroos’ charisma and what he represents at the Santiago Bernabeu. Neither side wanted him to return simply for the sake of it, so the door remains open for the future.
The relationship between the two parties is excellent, and both know that the opportunity to work together again will eventually come.
Taking it step by step
For now, Kroos continues to run the academy he established in Boadilla, enjoying the opportunity to help develop younger players.
After two years away from the competitive side of football, however, he is beginning to look towards the dugout as a possible next step in his career.
Kroos currently holds coaching qualifications that allow him to work up to the third tier of Spanish football.
This is possible because professionals with at least seven years of proven experience and significant involvement at the elite level can gain direct access to accelerated coaching courses.
That means Kroos could coach a team in Primera Federacion, but the German wants to take things gradually.
Kroos has already informed the RFEF that he would be interested in joining the coaching course reserved for professional footballers during the 2027/28 season.
The course taking place this season is not available to elite former players, with UEFA limiting each campaign to 20 places.
With his current qualifications, Kroos could work as an assistant coach, but he cannot yet take charge as a head coach in either the top flight or the Segunda División.
But completing that programme would allow Kroos to obtain the UEFA A licence, which would enable him to coach teams at any level.
