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The recently concluded La Liga season was officially the worst for Real Madrid in this century, as the club posted a number of unwanted records over the course of the campaign.
The 12 losses sustained in the league was the most suffered by the club in a single campaign since the 1998/1999 season, while the 64 goals scored was their lowest tally since 1999-2000.
The club went through three different managers, while also suffering a shocking round-of-16 elimination to Ajax Amsterdam in the Champions League effectively meaning their season was over by March.
Real Madrid came into the campaign as three-time defending European champions, but they were always expected to suffer following the departure of their iconic record goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus last summer.
Despite their triumphs on the continent in recent seasons, Real Madrid have woefully underperformed in the league, watching on from afar as Barcelona have achieved near total domestic superiority.
Los Blancos have won just two league titles in the last 10 years, which is rather shambolic for a club of this stature and is made more appalling when you consider that arch-rivals Barcelona have won seven in the same timeframe.
It is on the backdrop of this that Zinedine Zidane has placed a priority on winning La Liga next season, as the club looks to build on the record breaking 33 domestic titles won and in this piece, we shall be having a rundown of three steps the club must take in order to regain domestic supremacy next season.
#3 Have a massive squad overhaul
Over the last decade, Real Madrid have been privileged to be blessed with some of the best players in the world, as most of the players in the various departments could genuinely claim to being among the very elite in their respective positions.
This played a massive role in helping the club achieve the most successful period in its recent history, winning four Champions League titles in five years, as well as three consecutively in addition to numerous other trophies.
At their peak, the Real players looked invincible and played with a swagger that showcased their ability, but having been at the top for so long and achieved everything winnable, there was nowhere else to go but down.
The law of diminishing returns is far from being just an economic principle, as it applies in all walks of life and football is no different, with the Real Madrid players suffering from a drop in performance.
Over the course of this season, only a handful of Real players can genuinely claim to have performed at their usual levels, as majority of the squad struggled to maintain their high standards.
Players like Gareth Bale, Sergio Ramos, Marco Asensio, Marcelo but to name a few were largely culpable for the shambolic season Real Madrid had and having given so much to the club, the time might be right to let them go.
Zinedine Zidane has admitted as much, alluding to a large scale clearance of the squad in the summer and the future of Real Madrid could look very different, as they must get rid of underperforming players in the team to build a brighter future.
#2 Sign a marquee forward
When Cristiano Ronaldo departed Real Madrid last summer, it was widely expected that the club would get a marquee player to replace the Portuguese at the club.
However, in shocking scenes, Perez opted against towing this path, showing a confidence in the players at the club, with the result being that only unproved forwards in Vinicius Jr and Mariano Diaz were brought into the club.
It is no hidden secret that this plan backfired spectacularly, with the club struggling massively in front of goal, as the players failed to rise to the occasion in the absence of Ronaldo.
This summer window offers an opportunity for the club to rectify this anomaly, as even though Ronaldo’s extraordinary performance level means that he is almost irreplaceable, some players could go some way in cushioning the effect of his departure.
Real Madrid have been linked with a host of marquee players including Eden Hazard, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar and while none of these players would come cheap, it is imperative that the club goes out of its way to complete a deal for at least one of these players.
Goals win matches and without them, trophies cannot be won and as such, Perez must do all in his power to push a deal through for a world class forward, as it could be the difference between domestic triumph and another season of disappointment next term.
#1 Give Zinedine Zidane a free hand
Real Madrid is the biggest club in the world, with the illustrious history and prestige attached to the club meaning that everyone associated with the brand are always under immense pressure to succeed both on and off the field.
As president of the club, Florentino Perez exerts an overbearing influence on the club, going as far as calling the shots when it comes to transfer of players and deciding the fate of coaches.
While the 71-year-old billionaire might be a savvy businessman, his footballing decisions have not always been the best over time, as he has shown a penchant for prioritizing marketability over footballing abilities. An infamous example of this is when he let the non-flamboyant but extremely important Claude Makelele depart in favour of signing an unnecessary David Beckham which coincided with a disastrous spell for the club.
Though a galactico in his playing days, Zinedine Zidane has towed a different path as a manager, preferring to focus on the balance of the team over individual brilliance and this is a pattern that has proven immensely successful for him, as he won a record breaking nine trophies in just two-and-half seasons in the Bernabeu dugout.
Real Madrid are heading into a rebuilding phase and Zinedine Zidane would have his hands full in ensuring a smooth transition and as such, the club hierarchy must give him a free hand in deciding the course in which he is to steer the ship.
