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Zinedine Zidane has resigned from Real Madrid. The more you read this, the more you begin to realize that this actually happened. After a beautiful two-and-a-half year with the Galacticos, he decided to call it quits while he himself pulled the strings on his career.
It was out of the blue and the Madridistas were shocked. Even Florentino Perez, who has never known any manager who walked out on him instead of getting the sack from him, looked absolutely devastated when he got a taste of his own medicine.
His run might have been short, but it was perhaps the most fruitful of them all. Such has been his influence that a case could be made for him to be labeled as the greatest Real Madrid manager of the modern era – beating even the legendary Vicente Del Bosque.
And here are 5 reasons why…
#5 Came at a time of crisis
All of a sudden, everything started to crush for the Blancos. It all began after their 22-run winning streak under Carlo Ancelotti was broken unceremoniously by Valencia. After that, Madrid just imploded and went a season without any trophies.
Ancelotti was sacked and Rafa Benitez was appointed. Six months later, even the Spaniard got the sack after failing to manage the egos in the Real Madrid dressing room.
By January 2016, everything was looking bleak for the Galacticos. Another trophyless season looked like a real possibility. But then came Zidane and changed everything.
The Frenchman took over the reins at the Bernabeu at a time when they were shrouded by bitter darkness. He, however, came in with the most radiant rays and took the club to heights it hadn’t tasted in the modern era.
It is for one of these reasons that he should be considered as even better than Vicente Del Bosque during the early Galactico era – and perhaps even the legendary Spanish boss would agree with it.
#4 Success
What Zinedine Zidane did with Real Madrid in his two-and-a-half seasons is something perhaps no other manager could do with the Galacticos. Many great managers have coached Real Madrid in the modern era, but none have been as successful as the legendary former French midfielder.
Let’s put it simply: he has three Champions League titles, one La Liga crown, two Club World Cups, two European Super Cups and one Spanish Super Cup in his two-and-a-half year at Real Madrid.
The best part about his journey is the fact that he won three Champions League in a row, something that hasn’t happened in a long time. In fact, one has to go to the 70s to find another team that won the Champions League thrice in a row when Bayern Munich achieved that feat.
That is how rare a thing it is.
#3 Most impactful of them all
This is an amalgamation of the first two slides. The place where Madrid were and the place where Zizou brought them in such a short space of time is a testament to the impact that Zidane had at the club.
He has the third-best win-percentage record as the manager of Real Madrid that took part in more than 100 games with a win ratio of 69.8% and only Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti have a better percentage than him.
But, when you compare Zidane's accolades with theirs, he dwarfs them by a huge margin as Jose Mourinho only won three titles with the Blancos in three years and Carlo Ancelotti won four titles in two years.
And Zidane? NINE trophies in two-and-a-half years.
#2 The respect of everyone
Zinedine Zidane is one of the few managers that leaves the club with the respect of all the players. Carlo Ancelotti and Vicente Del Bosque were the others whose departure shocked many players – but not Florentino Perez.
Where Zidane stands out – and Ancelotti and Del Bosque couldn’t – is to earn the undying respect and support of Florentino Perez. When Zidane was announcing his resignation in a press conference, Perez, who was seated beside him, looked absolutely broken.
Never has anyone ever seen Florentino Perez look as dejected as he was during the press conference. He has been at the club many a year but, had always been undisturbed during a situation like these – because, after all, he was the one walking out on someone.
In short, Florentino Perez got Florentino Perez’d and when that happens, it just goes to show what a revered figure Zidane is at the Bernabeu.
#1 Finished on top
Zidane remains the only manager of Real Madrid that was not sacked by the club since the turn of the millennium. Vicente Del Bosque wasn’t renewed, Carlos Quiroz was sacked, Wanderley Luxembourgo and Juan Ramon Lopez Caro, too, followed suit.
Fabio Capello, Bernd Schuster, Manuel Pellegrini, Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti – all of these managers were let go by the club instead of them handing their respective resignations.
In this, Zidane stands out as he not only left after winning the Champions League three times in a row, he departed on his own accord and left Florentino Perez with a broken heart.
Perez knows that replacing him is impossible as it is now virtually impossible for another manager to repeat what Zidane did – which is what makes his departure all the more aptly timed and with his head held high.
Do you agree with this list? Sound off in the comments section below!
