Real Madrid News
Zinedine Zidane reflects on iconic moments at Real Madrid – ‘The history the club has, the best’
Real Madrid’s lineage extends to a number of legendary footballers, but few can rival the success and impact of Zinedine Zidane.
After an illustrious playing career, Zidane achieved what few others have—matching his legendary status as a player with a renowned coaching career.
Having won a resounding 11 trophies across two spells as Los Blancos’ head coach, Zidane reserves the right to be labelled as one of the club’s most influential figures.
Zidane reminisces about his time at Real Madrid
The 52-year-old has been responsible for several iconic moments at the Santiago Bernabeu and did not hide his admiration for the club’s sacred home ground.
“The Bernabeu is top, top, top. For me, the Bernabeu is number one. The people, stadium, everything, the history that the club has, the best,” Zidane waxed lyrical (h/t Madrid Xtra).
While Zidane has no shortage of memorable moments, the one that arguably takes the cake is his magnificent strike against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 Champions League final.
Acknowledging it as his best goal, he remarked, “The best, most beautiful and important one, I think is the goal against Leverkusen. We needed this goal to win the Champions League.”
When being handed the jersey that he donned in his last ever game with the Merengues, the former midfielder fondly looked back at the memories associated with it.
“This is from my last season with Real Madrid. I think this was against Villarreal at home.
“It was my last match with the club and it was emotional because my friends and family were there at the Bernabeu. It was a special match. I remember it,” he said.
Zidane was also presented with a jersey from the 2016 Champions League, which he once again reflected upon fondly.
“This [shirt] was as a coach, from the Champions League. In Milan, against Atletico Madrid. There’s nothing better than winning the Champions League with the white shirt,” he exclaimed.
Real Madrid will be looking to pick up their fifth win of the 2026/27 La Liga season when they take on Elche CF at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero later tonight.
With 12 points from five games, Los Blancos are currently second in the league table, three points below leaders FC Barcelona.
As such, the Spanish capital club will be eager to get the win and close the gap to the top.
Guler starts, Bellingham rested
Ahead of kickoff, Real Madrid have announced the starting lineup that will take the field against Elche, with Jose Mourinho making some important changes.
For starters, Arda Guler is back in the lineup after appearing as a substitute in the win over Rayo Vallecano.
Interestingly, however, he starts in the attacking midfield role, with Mourinho opting to rest Jude Bellingham, who has started all of Real Madrid’s games so far.
That also means that Yan Diomande retains his place in the team, starting for a second time in a row on the right wing. Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. continue in their respective positions in attack.
Another notable change sees Aurelien Tchouameni make his first start of the season after recovering from injury and making two appearances off the bench.
He replaces Bernardo Silva as Federico Valverde’s partner in the middle of the park.
Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marc Cucurella come in as full-backs, while Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen slot in at centre-back in front of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
📋✅ ¡Nuestro XI inicial!
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) September 15, 2026
🆚 @ElcheCF
👉 @UnicajaBanco pic.twitter.com/rHzZI1CQM7
