5 reasons why Zinedine Zidane is creating something special at Real Madrid 

After years of staying in Barcelona’s shadows, it seems as though the figure of Madrid has enlarged to the point where the Catalans now find themselves in the darkness created by the Whites. Zinedine Zidane’s Madrid have now won seven titles in the last 19 months as they lifted the Spanish Super Cup after defeating Barcelona 5-1 over two legs.

With this, Zidane becomes Madrid’s third-most successful manager of all time, tied with Vicente del Bosque. However, what took the Spaniard four years to achieve, the Frenchman has done it under two years. He is now just behind Luis Molowny and the legendary Miguel Munoz.

Which brings us to the conclusion that the former midfield maestro is creating something very extraordinary at the Bernabeu – and here are five reasons why.

#5 A sense of family bonding

The dressing room egos at Madrid have always been a tough thing to manage for any manager that took over the Los Blancos, just ask Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez. However, with Zinedine Zidane, there is a sense of family bonding in the team as the players look willing to even shed blood for each other with Zidane placing his complete loyalty towards them.

For instance, a lot of fans wanted to see the back of Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema in this transfer window, but the Frenchman has kept his faith on the two forwards and has insisted their importance time and again.

As a result, Karim Benzema not only scored in the recent Clasico but also put in one of the best performances of his Madrid career. Zidane’s insistence on sticking with his existing set of players gives a joint family vibe within the club, which can only lead to good things.

#4 Revolutionary rotations

Real Madrid's 'B' team might be better than even Barcelona

The art of rotation is not easy to master. Most coaches adopt it, Zinedine Zidane, however, was moulded by it. Even in Pep Guardiola’s brilliant Barcelona era, the Catalan manager rarely ever rotated to keep his first-choice players fit and the ones on the bench happy.

Zidane, however, needed to rotate. It was more of a necessity given that the club has so many world class talents. In the second leg of the Clasico against Barca, he rested Isco, Bale and Casemiro and was without the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo.

Lucas Vazquez, Marco Asensio and Mateo Kovacic were on the field and the results were just as beautiful. All the three players put in exceptional displays and made a case for themselves to be starters at the club.

Indeed, the Blancos won the double last season mostly due to the Frenchman’s rotation policy that saw Cristiano Ronaldo getting an ample amount of rest and, as a result, staying fit until the end of the season.

#3 Tactical variations

Isco's form played a fundamental role last season

A lot of people in the football fraternity don’t give Zidane the credit that he deserves. For some, he is lucky, while for others, he is only a good man-manager. However, over the last year, he has shown that he is no muck when it comes to tactics.

Zidane’s tactical nous can be interpreted by his tactical over the course of last season. As Gareth Bale wasn’t fit, he had to employ a system that got the best out of the team while also incorporating the talents of Isco.

In the end, he shifted to a 4-3-1-2 with four midfielders and two forwards, where Isco takes the spot behind the forwards. It turned out to be a masterstroke as the Blancos went on to win the double with Isco playing a fundamental role in the season run-in.

Against Barcelona in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup, Zidane reverted back to a 4-3-3 after using the 4-3-1-2 in the first leg. It caught the Catalans by surprise as the Blancos completely dominated the proceedings with five players in midfield when without possession of the ball and three in attack with it.

#2 Signings

Asensio is the crown jewel of Madrid

There was once a time when Real Madrid signed stars just for the sake of it and not with the tactical implications in mind. One would have to look only as far as James Rodriguez to understand what I am trying to convey.

Right now, however, the club’s approach in the transfer market seems like one of the best in the world. They are only signing the players that could play a big role in the future and are willing to accept a bench role in the present.

The likes of Marco Asensio, Dani Ceballos, Theo Hernandez and Jesus Vallejo all represent the new ideology of the club. Even Isco and Mateo Kovacic were well-thought signings that have helped the club. With such a policy, the future always stays bright with the present not being darkened.

#1 Legacy

The legacy of Zidane

This is why Zidane is truly creating something special at Madrid. All these wouldn’t mean a damn thing if the Frenchman didn’t back it up with titles. In his 19 months at the club, Zidane averages a trophy every 13 games as he has won 7 trophies in his short stay.

In fact, he has also lost only 7 times in his tenure as Madrid’s manager and became the first-ever coach to win the Champions League two times in a row. Madrid’s double last season was its first since 1958 and their spree of dominance puts them on the pedestal of the football world.

So much that people now debate as to whether Zidane’s Madrid is one of the best club sides of all time. While these might be premature things to argue about, what can’t be denied is that the former Real Madrid player is leaving a legacy that will echo in the halls of eternity.