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After the endless stream of drama that had affected Los Merengues following the dramatic resignation of former manager Zinedine Zidane, things are beginning to calm down at the Santiago Bernabeu.
A club that should still be basking in the afterglow of winning its 3rd UEFA Champions League title in successive seasons and 13th overall has been on the news for reasons other than footballing excellence since the season ended.
The approach to Lopetegui and his subsequent sacking by the Spanish Football Federation, 2 days before the World Cup started to cast a pall over the appointment of the 51-year-old tactician as Real's new manager. Spain are now out of the Mundial after a dull and terrible-to-watch campaign that culminated in a penalty shootout loss to hosts Russia.
Lopetegui's time as the coach of Spain's U-21 squad has made him intimately aware of the potential of a lot of Real Madrid's Spanish contingent. A lot of them are expected to play key roles under his reign.
Here are 5 of the Spanish stars who would be key for Los Merengues under Lopetegui's reign:
#5 Marcos Llorente
One of the more prominent graduates of La Fabrica in recent years, the youngster would have been one of the happiest players when Zidane shocked the world by announcing his exit after the UCL final.
An excellent defensive midfielder, Llorente had endured a frustrating time under the Frenchman as he only played 561 minutes last season despite the problems the team had last season.
The frustration for the 23-year-old would have been even more given the fact that he had a stellar season while on loan at Deportivo Alaves in the 2016-17 La Liga season.
Lopetegui is a manager who is renowned for giving youth a chance and will surely give Llorente the minutes he needs to show what he can do. It is expected that he will share defensive midfield duties with Carlos Casemiro and depending on how he performs, may even supplant him.
Lopetegui is a tactical manager who likes trying different solutions to various problems, as a result, a versatile player like Llorente could find himself playing in various roles. It would be up to him to take advantage of the opportunity offered.
#4 Jesús Vallejo
One of the 7 players who was placed on standby when the 23-man squad for the World Cup was named by Lopetegui, Vallejo is a favourite of the powers-that-be at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Zaragoza-born player has long been seen as the long-term successor to captain Sergio Ramos. This view was one that grew in popularity following his very successful loan spell in the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt after his €6m move to Madrid from hometown club, Real Zaragoza in 2015.
A technically gifted centre-back who is calm on the ball and has a very good sense of anticipation, his rapid improvement allowed the club to dispense with the services of Pepe at the beginning of last season.
However, like Llorente, he didn't get enough minutes under Zidane last season and looked really shaky in his solitary UCL appearance last season (the quarter-final 2nd leg tie against Juventus).
Lopetegui will most definitely give him more playing time next season and given the injury record of Raphael Varane, he may even find himself becoming Ramos' regular partner.
#3 Dani Ceballos
One of the more mystifying things about Real Madrid under in Zidane's last season was the fact that a player as talented as Ceballos played as little as he did.
A majestic dribbler capable of carrying the ball forward and knitting attacks together with his very accurate passing; it was thought that he would become a favourite of the bald Frenchman following his £14.5million move from Real Betis last season.
His stellar display at the European U-21 Championship last year where he was voted the MVP increased anticipation among Madridistas who were eager to see the havoc he would wreck alongside the magical Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.
This never materialized as he was criminally underused by Zidane even when it had become obvious that Modric and Isco were in need of a breather/underperforming. This underuse led to rumours that the 22-year-old would be on the move.
However, Lopetegui is said to have put paid to all speculation as he has reportedly stated that the enigmatic midfielder will play a huge role in his team next season.
With Mateo Kovacic looking set to leave in search of first-team football, Ceballos will move up the pecking ladder in Madrid’s very stacked midfield and he looks exactly like the kind of player that Lopetegui likes; a talented skilful player with a hint of devilry and a good team ethos.
#2 Marco Asensio
It is almost certain that were it not for his crazy release clause, a lot of Europe’s elite teams would have come to make enquiries about the services of one of the continent’s top young talents.
The 21-year-old Mallorcan was expected to play a big role for Los Merengues following his breakout season in 2016-17. His performances off the bench wowed the world and made the decision to send James Rodriguez to Bayern Munich easier.
Everyone was expecting him to push on in the 2017/2018 and become an integral member of the team. However, his super-sub role continued into the season as, despite the year’s subpar campaign in La Liga, Asensio was not fully trusted to start games and deliver.
He made 52 appearances for the team last season, more than half of which came as a substitute. His dribbling, intelligence, eye for a pass and unpredictable nature is something that will appeal to Lopetegui given his love for flair players.
Given the uncertainty over the future of Gareth Bale, Asensio could even find himself in the First XI depending on the setup Lopetegui would deploy.
#1 Isco
Of all the players that would have been thrilled at the appointment of Lopetegui, none would have been as happy as Isco.
The Benalmádena-born midfielder has been in the eye of the storm for quite a while with Madridistas divided on his status and whether he deserves his place in the first team.
Relegated to the bench at the beginning of Zidane's tenure, the Spanish international worked hard and aided by Bale's constant injuries, he became a key part of the team which swept all in its path in Europe last season.
However, Madridistas and his ardent fans remember the brilliant Isco whose dribbling, decision making, goalscoring and assist making made him the standout player of the brilliant Spanish side which won the U-21 European Championships in 2013 (the team featured players like David de Gea, Dani Carvajal, Thiago Alcantara among others).
That team was coached by Lopetegui and Isco dazzling performances under the same coach during their time together in the La Furia Roja setup means the 26-year-old could play a key role in Los Merengues' setup in the 2018/2019 season.
That Isco who ran amok for Spain has not shown up too many times in the white jersey of Real is something that Lopetegui looks set to correct.
Agree with our list? Disagree? Tell us in the comments below!
