5 things we've learned about Real Madrid so far this season

#2 Zinedine Zidane has left his mark on Real Madrid as a manager

Zinedine Zidane is one of the select few who has tasted success as a player and also as a manager.

There are great players and there are great managers. But it’s often difficult to find great players who have gone on to make great managers. And the respective failures of Alan Shearer and Diego Maradona as the managers of Newcastle United and the Argentine national team are a testament to this fact.

However, the unfavourable odds don’t imply that great players don’t make great managers and Zidane’s success as Real Madrid manager over the last two years is proof of this.

A lot of eyebrows were raised when Madrid decided to appoint the legendary Frenchman as the manager of their first team in 2016, but by the end of his first season in charge of Madrid, Zidane laid all such doubts to rest as he led Los Blancos to Champions League glory.

And he then followed that up by winning La Liga last season and the icing on Zidane’s cake was when Madrid became the first team in the UEFA Champions League era to defend their crown, under Zidane's guidance.

As far as the secrets for Zidane’s success was concerned, the fact that he learned the tricks of the trade during his time in charge of Real Madrid’s youth team certainly helped him. But more importantly, he has got each player on his side to play to their respective strengths during his tenure, and that has certainly helped his cause.

Moreover, Zidane has deployed a consistent starting 11 for the majority of his time as manager and that has definitely earned him his players’ trust.

In short, Zidane got Madrid back to their basics during his time at the club and that is exactly why he has succeeded. But in the larger scheme of things, Zidane’s biggest achievement as a manager will be proving that great players can make great managers too.