Real Madrid vs Barcelona this weekend could prove to be a title decider in La Liga, and both star studded sides could really take one gigantic step towards lifting the league title.
The pedigrees of both managers this weekend speaks for themselves. While Luis Enrique playing alongside some legendary players, Zinedine Zidane is one of the greatest of all time himself. But which teammates of Zizou could Madrid use in the Clasico? Here are five former teammates of Zinedine Zidane that Real Madrid could use next weekend.
#1 Iker Casillas
One of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, Iker Casillas is a player that Real Madrid have never really replaced since he departed in 2015, and could have been a perfect player for the Clasico this weekend. During his peak, Casillas was a big game player and was always on top form when Barcelona came to town, and when you compare Casillas to Keylor Navas, Real Madrid’s current goalkeeper, it’s really a no contest.
The multiple time-Champions League winner played alongside Zidane in the peak of the Galacticos era, and cemented his legacy as one of the greats of football. Against Messi, Suarez and Neymar, Casillas’s incredible reflexes and outstanding leadership skills would be so valuable, and previous performances in big games against Barcelona give the impression that in this Madrid team, he would still be an incredible asset to have.
With this current Madrid team, which is already defensively sound, Casillas would be in good company with the centre back partnership of Sergio Ramos and Varane and occasionally Nacho. Zidane has made Madrid tough to be beat and even harder to score against, and with an inspired Iker Casillas between the sticks it would be nigh on impossible to defeat this already impenetrable Madrid team.
#2 Fernando Hierro
Fernando Hierro will go down in history as one of Real Madrid’s greatest ever defenders, and his experience and calmness at the back alongside Sergio Ramos would be incredible to see, especially against such an incredible attack.
482 games for Los Blancos as a sweeper and central defender, Hierro had style and substance to his game, but wasn’t afraid to put in a few last ditch tackles to save his side, which showed how versatile he could be.
His style would match up perfectly with Sergio Ramos, who has an tendancy to dive into tackles and get booked almost every single game, but Hierro’s way of playing would also add something else to the Madrid backline. His surprisingly prolific record for the Spanish national team where he scored 30 goals from defence in 88 games is also an indication that Hierro is a threat from set pieces.
When looking at the current Madrid side, Hierro would have competiton from Raphael Varane, but the Spaniard would easily get a place ahead of Pepe and Nacho, so whilst there may be more spectacular players to choose from Zidane’s time at Real Madrid, very few could offer the strenght and style that Fernando Hierro would.
#3 Claude Makelele
A very underappreciated midfielder when he was at Real Madrid, Claude Makelele would be perfect for this Clasico, especially against this Barcelona side. The Frenchman may have only played with Zidane for a season at Real Madrid, but the two’s connection doesn’t stop there with the pair being key to the French national squad in the early 2000’s.
Makelele gained a reputation for being the best holding midfielder on the planet whilst at both Real Madrid and Chelsea, and in a midfield three of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, Makelele would really excel and make such a huge difference. His tackling and how he reads the game would stop this Barcelona side dead in their tracks and would essentially stop any Barcelona attack.
As a defensive midfielder, Makelele wasn’t viewed by some on the board at Madrid as being a “superstar” and wasn’t glamorous enough for the club at the time, but many, including Zidane, were shocked at his departure.
When Madrid sold Makelele and signed David Beckham, Zidane was quoted as saying “Why put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley when you are losing the entire engine?” and quite frankly, he’s right. Zidane would kill to have Makelele in his squad, and it’s evident for everyone to see.
Also Read: 5 reasons why the defensive midfielder is the most important player on the pitch
#4 Luis Figo
When Figo joined Madrid from Barcelona in 2000, there was a lot of controversy surrounding the transfer. Madrid had just bought the World Player of the Year from their fierce rivals for a world record fee, so, as expected, the footballing world was shocked, and the Barcelona fans were outraged.
Despite the controversy surrounding the transfer, there was no doubting that Figo and Real Madrid seemed like a perfect match. His skill on the right and left wings meant that Madrid now had yet another player to feed to the likes of Zidane, Raul, Morientes and of course Ronaldo, and his impact was incredible.
The former Inter star went on to capture the 2001/02 Champions League alongside Zidane and a few others from this list, and if this current Madrid side had a peak Figo, the possibilities could have been endless. He would just act as yet another world-class player in the already amazing Madrid attack, and would probably be a welcome to addition to the attack.
#5 Ronaldo
When Ronaldo was at Real Madrid, he was undoubtedly the best striker in the world. His skill, pace, movement and ice cool finishing launched him to the very top of world football for both Madrid and for Brazil, and even by today’s he was an incredible talent.
He was perfect for those around him, connecting Zidane, Figo and David Beckham as well as linking up perfectly with partner in crime Raul, and you can’t help but think what damage Ronaldo would do in front of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and maybe even with Karim Benzema.
His pace and power would be such a valuable asset to this current Madrid team, and would probably tear the Barcelona defence to pieces in this upcoming Clasico.
Unfortunately, the Brazilian Ronaldo has been slightly overshadowed in recent years by Cristiano, but a true fan of football will never forget how good Ronaldo was for Real Madrid and if he was playing in his prime in this day and age, he would immediately be the best striker in the world.
Now, this isn’t saying that Karim Benzema isn’t top class, but it’s simply because Ronaldo was so outstanding for Real during his time in Spain. It was a joy to watch him play, and when he was in his prime, no one in the world of football could have stopped Ronaldo.
