Real Madrid might be voted as the greatest club of the 20th century, but how people see the club right now is a far cry from the gaze it generated in the bygone years. For many, Real Madrid is a circus, a madhouse where managers are hired and fired with little or no thought.
And the main culprit behind this is Florentino Perez. The construction magnate’s recklessness has hurt the club more than he would ever admit. Granted, his presence has made Madrid a richer club, but it is in the sporting matters where he should have had a restrained level of interference.
The lack of patience he displays has hampered the club as the Blancos have never really had any stability with him at the helm. From not renewing Del Bosque’s contract after a Champions League winning season to selling Angel Di Maria after a man of the match performance in Real’s La Decima winning campaign, he has made so many blunders that the majority of Madridistas want him out.
In January, however, he made a decision that took a little heat off him as he appointed Zinedine Zidane to replace the axed Rafael Benitez. Since then, the fortunes have turned for the Whites as they now find themselves in the final of the Champions League and just a point behind Barcelona in the title race with just a game to go.
Still, the Frenchman could end up with no trophies this season. Despite that, however, there is a good chance that he won’t be sacked and here are 5 reasons why…
1) The players adore him
The one thing that Rafa Benitez couldn’t do at Real Madrid was to get all the players to like him—something that his predecessor, Carlo Ancelotti, excelled at. The players absolutely loved the Italian manager and were devastated when he was sacked.
However, the Spaniard couldn’t influence himself in the way the future Bayern Munich manager did. This, in turn, made it easier for Florentino Perez to sack him.
With Zinedine Zidane, the love seems to be back as almost every player in the team has heaped praises on him and have admitted how the players coordinate better with him than they did with Rafa Benitez.
The former Liverpool manager’s sacking brought breathing space in the dressing room, something that would once again fade away should Perez decide to sack the legendary French midfielder. A players’ backlash could also be expected, something that could make this whole thing very ugly.
2) Fear of fans’ backlash
When Carlo Ancelotti was sacked, almost every Real Madrid fan wanted the head of Florentino Perez as they couldn’t fathom how he had committed such a vulgar act of ungratefulness. Chants of ‘Perez leave’ were heard echoing around the Bernabeu and the tycoon found himself under major scrutiny.
Hence, if he sacks Zinedine Zidane, all hell could break loose. The fact that Zizou has a history with the club as one of its iconic players automatically gives him leverage over the managers that have coached the team in this era.
The memory of his volley goal against Bayer Leverkusen is still ripe among many Madridistas as he holds a dear place in the hearts of almost all of them.
So sacking him could incur a backlash that would be fiercer than the one that was displayed when the former Milan manager was fired. And Perez wouldn’t want to hurt an already angry lion.
3) He has done a brilliant job
When Zinedine Zidane took over, Real Madrid were a mess. While Benitez’s failure has been exaggerated by a huge margin, what can’t be denied is that he had lost the dressing room during his final days at the club.
Also, the style of football that he played wasn’t making many Blancos fans happy and they demanded a change.
In came Zinedine Zidane.
The French maestro initially struggled to get the ball rolling and found his men lose to Atletico at home—a loss that left them 12 points behind league leaders, Barcelona. The former World Cup winner, then, admitted that the league was lost.
Three months down the line and Real Madrid remain Barca’s only rival for the title as they trail by just a point with one more game to go.
While Real’s destiny in La Liga depends on Barca’s performance, they have done a fantastic job in the Champions League. In 2 weeks’ time, they will be facing their biggest nemesis in a replay of the 2014 Champions League final.
Suffice to say, Zidane brought hope when there was nothing but despair.
4) He didn’t get enough time to completely stamp his authority
It has been just around 4 months since he has taken over. His achievement in this four months has been a glaring reflection of what he could achieve if he is given a longer shot with the club.
Despite the short amount of time he has been with the club, he has already made some subtle, but fine, changes in the team’s style of play. Real now play quicker and a more crisp brand of football. They are also on a winning streak in La Liga despite being raved with so many injuries.
Finally, the players that he has used are not his signings. With the summer transfer coming up, the Frenchman can sign the players he wants and a build a team around it—giving him full influence of the team.
Hence, sacking him before he even achieves full control would be an absurd move even for Perez’s standard. Well, chuck that. Nothing is absurd for him.
5) Because he is the Zinedine Zidane
And this is the ultimate reason why he won’t be sacked even if he ends up without a trophy this season. His name alone gives players the motivation to play well and outsiders a slight hint of concern. His reputation is such that players of other teams would come in running at the first call from the legend.
The likes of Raphael Varane and many other Real Madrid players joined the club because of his presence. The youth have also benefitted greatly from his stewardship as Lucas Vazquez, Jese and even Borja Mayoral have been given chances under him.
Overall, he is the best coach Real Madrid could have. His tactical nous might not be at the level of other great managers, but he knows how to motivate the players and develop the youngsters. In fact, he remains the only coach in the world who can nurture Real’s youth academy products straight from the youth teams.
Don’t you dare sack him, Mr. Perez!
