Real Madrid News
Zinedine Zidane explains how he turned a broken Real Madrid side into Champions League kings
Few managers are as deeply admired by Real Madrid supporters as Zinedine Zidane.
Notably, when the Frenchman joined the club in January 2016, the situation was far from stable.
A disappointing run under Rafael Benitez had left the squad short on confidence and rhythm.
What followed, however, was one of the most extraordinary periods in football history, as Zidane guided Real Madrid to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles.
Looking back at his time
Reflecting on his sudden promotion and the early doubts he faced, Zidane first recalled the moment he stepped into the role and how quickly reality hit him.
“I remember we were preparing for a match against Ebro, and we got the chance to train with the first team.
“When I started at Castilla, I had dreams of managing the first team, but after losing three matches when I started, I thought that would be the end of it.
“I knew what I was getting myself into. We had the best team in the world.
“I looked at the players and knew that if we worked hard, we could achieve great things, and that’s what happened.
“We didn’t want every training session to be the same,” he told Hamidou Msaidie’s YouTube channel, according to AS.
Issues he faced
Zidane then explained the main issue he encountered upon taking charge, stressing that physical condition and collective effort had to be fixed immediately.
“The team wasn’t in good physical shape, and we just had to instil in them the idea that they needed to work as a team.
I met with the four captains and told them what I wanted from them, and would see if they were committed. When they agreed to work, that was it.
“We rediscovered their motivation. We made them run. Physical work was essential.”
Facing the derbies
The former Madrid boss also revealed a brutally honest message he delivered to the squad when facing their biggest rivals, Atletico Madrid and FC Barcelona.
“I told them that if we played against Atleti or Barça, we would lose 100%. If we worked together, then we could beat them, and that’s what happened.
“In January, we wouldn’t have beaten them, but at the end of the season, we beat both of them. Barça in La Liga and Atleti in the Champions League.”
Zidane also opened up about his bond with the players and why trust was the foundation of his success.
“At Real Madrid, we were there for the players. If you don’t understand that, you can’t last in this profession.
“If the players don’t agree with everything they’re given, the training sessions, all that… something will always be missing. With us, I think they enjoyed it a lot on all levels.”
Confidence within the team
Finally, Zidane explained how confidence and competition within the squad were non-negotiable during that golden era.
“We instilled a lot of confidence in the players. They had gone through a bad patch and needed to regain their confidence.
“When a player is competitive, he’s happy to train and go out and play. I tried to make them see that they were all important.
If they didn’t train well, they couldn’t play. If on Monday you know who’s going to play on Saturday, that’s bad. Players who don’t play aren’t going to train well,” concluded the former Real Madrid coach.
Real Madrid opted to renew Antonio Rudiger’s contract this past summer to keep him at the club for one more season.
The 33-year-old veteran defender, though, has not been performing at his best, with physical problems taking their toll and age starting to catch up with him.
As such, the expectation is that Los Blancos will not extend his contract again when his current one expires on 30 June 2027.
Tottenham eye Antonio Rudiger
And, according to reports relayed by AS, Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a free-transfer swoop to sign Rudiger in the summer of next year.
The north London club are understood to be keen on reinforcing their backline next year and see the German defender as an option, given his experience in the Premier League and the fact that he would be available for free in the summer.
So far this season, Rudiger has played only five games for Real Madrid, amounting to a total of 396 minutes.
The 33-year-old has even chipped in with two goals, including the all-important winner in the 4-3 comeback victory over AS Roma on Wednesday night.
Time to move on?
Despite Rudiger being a hugely respected figure in the Real Madrid locker room, he is currently the third-choice centre-back for Jose Mourinho.
After all, summer signing Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen have been preferred by the manager so far in the new season.
Moreover, with Eder Militao set to return imminently after a lengthy injury layoff, Rudiger’s game-time could be impacted further.
Given the situation and factoring in Real Madrid’s plans to sign another centre-back next summer, it is pretty much evident that Rudiger does not feature in the club’s plans for beyond this season.
As such, a separation of ways seems pretty likely when his contract expires, and Tottenham are now positioning themselves as early suitors to sign Rudiger as a free agent in 2027.
