Quiet man Zidane the key to Real Madrid's 11th heaven

Quiet man Zidane the key to Real Madrid's 11th heaven
28 May 2016 22:55:00 Champions League
Los Blancos, against all the odds, fought back from a mid-season meltdown to claim an historic 11th European crown and they have the calm brought by their coach to thankCOMMENTHe still looks fit enough to smash an over-the-shoulder volley into the top corner but that's not his job any more. In any case, his trousers would probably rip.
Zinedine Zidane might not have demonstrated tactical innovations to the extent of Pep Guardiola so far in his career, but Florentino Perez's gamble in trying to promote from within following the sacking of Rafael Benitez has paid off.
Real Madrid are champions of Europe for the 11th time thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo's decisive fifth penalty following Juanfran's miss.
It will be that ubiquitous tanned torso on your back pages in the morning, not the bald head of Zizou. The two shared a few quiet words before the second half of extra time; they both parted with a smile and a laugh. They looked like two old timers chatting at a bus stop. There is the key to what Zidane has brought.
He has now played his part in the last three Real Madrid European Cup victories. There was that volley against Bayer Leverkusen in 2002, he was assistant to Carlo Ancelotti in 2014 when Real claimed la Decima against Atletico Madrid and now he has emerged from the shadows of the Castilla team to claim the European Cup as a coach in his own right.
There is a touch of Ancelotti about Zidane's success and, in truth, a certain continuation of the policies of Benitez. He has expertly blended both for a new Real Madrid. The club may not have a coherent strategy off the field but Zidane is the carpet under which it all can be brushed.
Where the players loved Ancelotti, there was only antipathy towards his successor. However, by marrying the strands of Ancelotti's management of people to Benitez's ideas of giving balance to Madrid, Zidane has forged a winning identity.
Benitez was whistled, booed and ridiculed for putting Casemiro in the team at the expense of James Rodriguez and Isco as starters. Zidane's midfield plays in a similar manner to that which his predecessor intended. Casemiro could have given his team the lead here but the balance he brought on the night was key throughout. The experiment of playing Gareth Bale through the middle has been dropped.
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