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It is no longer news that Zinedine Zidane has been reappointed as Real Madrid coach following the sacking of Santiago Solari.
Zinedine Zidane walked away from his first managerial job after guiding Real to her third consecutive UCL trophy and overseeing the most successful period in the club's illustrious modern history.
However, the record European champions struggled badly in his absence, falling way of course in the La Liga race, while also being eliminated from the Copa del Rey and Champions League in the space of a week.
Zidane's appointment was greeted with a lot of optimism by the fans, as it is believed that he had the Midas touch which could lead the club back to the top.
The 46-year-old kicked off his second tenure with a routine 2-0 victory over Celta Vigo and while it might be too early to suggest that he would bring back the good times, there were signs of the Madrid of old during the match.
As with any other managerial appointment, there are bound to be some upheavals in the squad, with some players benefitting from his reappointment, while others are bound to suffer. In this piece, we shall be taking a look at three payers who would be beneficiaries of Zidane's return to the Bernabeu bench.
#1 Isco
Isco arrived at Real Madrid in the summer of 2013 following his spectacular displays for Malaga in the league and Champions League.
The 2012 Golden Boy winner was one of the highest rated youngsters in the world owing to his brilliant technique, and ball playing abilities but despite initially struggling to exert himself in the Madrid squad, he slowly became an integral part of the club.
The 26-year-old grew from strength to strength under Zinedine Zidane and was one of the most influential players in Real Madrid's recent successes.
Under the Frenchman, the attacking midfielder was given the license to roam around the attacking third, with his services sometimes coming at the expense of the then most expensive player Gareth Bale (which speaks volumes of his significance to Zizou).
Since arriving at Real Madrid, the Spanish international has not failed to make at least 30 La Liga appearances in a season, but that benchmark is set to not be met this campaign, as he has only managed 17 from a possible 27 this term.
Zidane's successors did not repose the same confidence in Isco that he did, with the silky playmaker struggling to get minutes under both Lopetegui and Solari - sensationally failing to start a single league match under the latter.
However, he was restored to the starting lineup in Zidane's first match in charge and it was symbolic that he was the one that opened the scoring to kick off the legend's second spell in charge.
Isco has had a turbulent season thus far, but Zidane's second coming represents a second chance at life for him and you can be sure that he would take this opportunity with both hands (or rather feet).
#2 Marcelo
Marcelo has unarguably been the standout left-back in the world over the last decade and Real Madrid have benefitted immensely from his undoubted quality.
His explosive forays forward are a thrill to watch, also possessing the technique and natural flair of an attacker (which all Brazilian full-backs seem to possess) while his deliveries are second to none.
However, this season has seen the 30-year-old horribly out of sorts, struggling to exert the same influence over matches and being caught out time and again by opposition forwards.
Indeed, the Brazilian international was at fault for a number of goals conceded by Los Blancos, leading to him issuing an apology to the fans over his poor form.
He consequently lost his starting spot to young upstart Sergi Reguilon, as Solari preferred the defensive solidity offered by the 21-year-old even if his attacking output is significantly beneath his more experienced teammate.
Marcelo was one of the key cogs in the Madrid wheel under Zidane and the three-time World Player of the Year promised to have a key role for him in the squad and he kept good to his promise, installing the left-back into his starting lineup immediately.
Marcelo responded in kind, providing the assist for Gareth Bale's goal, while also proving a constant threat on the left flank which went against everything we have seen in recent weeks.
#3 Marco Asensio
Marco Asensio got his breakthrough under Zinedine Zidane in the 2016/2017 season, playing a bit-part role in the club's La Liga and Champions League winning campaign. He, however, weighed in with some important goals along the way including in the UCL final triumph over Juventus.
His trajectory continued the next season, as he underlined his importance with two well-taken goals against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup, but he expectedly failed to get much playing time as a result of the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The departures of Zidane and Ronaldo saw an improvement in playing time for the Spanish international, but like a lot of his teammates, he struggled to match the heights of previous seasons, watching on helpless as Real's season descended into chaos.
Zidane's return offers the potential for an upturn in fortunes at the club and being the coach who the 23-year-old his breakthrough, you can be sure that he would help the talented forward regain his best form.
