MADRID • Zinedine Zidane stood for 29 minutes fielding questions on Monday, but all of them really came down to two: Why now? And, what next?
Santiago Solari had been sacked as coach of Real Madrid and, in his place, Zidane returned on a three-year deal, 284 days after he left the club with three straight Champions League trophies in tow.
On May 31 last year, sitting next to Real president Florentino Perez, the Frenchman had said the team would not keep winning with him in charge and "needed a change".
But they looked lost without him, first under sacked Spain coach Julen Lopetegui and then Solari, who watched on as Real's season went up in smoke in six days.
The Argentinian's exit was inevitable, but the idea any suitable replacement would take over for 11 LaLiga games, with nothing to preside over except the aftermath of a crisis, seemed fanciful.
Real's distress call was, however, too great for Zidane to resist.
"When the president called me, the first thing I thought was, 'Go'," said the World Cup winner.
Which begs the question: what has changed? Rest may have refreshed motivation, particularly for Zidane, who revealed he had "never been far away".
The 46-year-old has stayed in Madrid, attending a handful of matches, while three of his sons still play for the club.
For him, the move back might have been less of a leap than it seems from the outside.
Yet the greatest lure may be that the team have been failing. For the best coaches and players, there is always self-belief, a sense that no problem is too big to solve.
Zidane knew he would return with more authority than before, despite his previous exploits.
The suspicion then was that he was just a popular face to keep the ship steady while star players engineered their own success.
As two coaches came and went, his stock rose with every chance missed, every seat left empty and every point Barcelona gained.
"I returned because the president called me. I love him and I love this club," he said. "I left the club because I needed it, for me, though at the time the club did not.
"After eight months, I want to coach again. For now, we just have to focus on what's left of the season and then see what we can do for the next years.
"We will change things, for sure, for the years to come."
Although Zidane could have waited until the close season, the job might not have been available.
However, former Real president Ramon Calderon told Sky Sports that despite Jose Mourinho's eagerness to have another crack at the hot seat, the club's "dressing room leaders" were against his return.
The Spaniard added: "He left a lot of problems and he would have been another problem to the ones we already have if he had come."
And those problems are aplenty despite Perez's boasts of a "new glorious era" after ushering in Zidane.
The latter will begin his new reign under no illusion even though Spanish daily AS has declared he will have "unprecedented power" at the Bernabeu, with full control over all aspects of the team.
Last term, Barcelona romped to the LaLiga title 17 points ahead of Real and the gap is already 12 with more than two months left.
With the Independent claiming Zidane has been given a £300 million (S$533 million) spending war chest and AS reporting he has been promised "three superstar signings", the challenge for him is to find the balance between reform and revolution.
Gareth Bale is understood to be less than enthused by his return, and that feeling is mutual, with Spanish football expert Guillem Balague telling BBC Sport Zidane "does not want to work with him", so a summer parting appears likely.
That could pave the way for Chelsea forward Eden Hazard, who by then will have one year left on his deal, with The Daily Telegraph saying yesterday that Real have already made an approach.
Paris Saint-Germain's strike duo of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe have also been touted, and Perez told reporters on Monday he "would like them both".
However, there will be no return for another prodigal son after the Spaniard nixed the idea of re-signing Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo, who left Madrid for Italy last July after a nine-season spell, insisting he is "fine where he is".
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, THE GUARDIAN
Gerard, breeder for theTurtleRoom.com shows an amazing video where a particularly angry Mata Mata Turtle (Chelus fimbriata) displays its ability to strike with incredible speed. Mata Matas have
Apartment rental in La Mata, Spain - YouTube
Double Injury Blow For Spurs Ahead Of EPL Clash With
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on December 14, 2018, with the headline 'Defiant Solari calls for patience'. Print Edition | Subscribe.
I will not resign as coach of Real Madrid, says defiant Solari
Fidelity Federal Bancorp Closes Private Placement Offerings of $30 Million in Subordinated Notes. Fidelity Federal Bancorp ("Company"), parent company of Evansville-based United Fidelity Bank, fsb ("Bank"), announced today it has completed a $30 million private placement of fixed-to-floating rate subordinated notes.
Bank, Borrow, Invest and Insure | People's United Bank
April 27 (Reuters) - Everton's hopes of finishing in seventh and a potential Europa League qualification spot suffered a blow as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in
Everton held to goalless draw at Palace - Football match
Football: Choupo-Moting in goal-line howler as PSG throw away
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has aimed a cheeky dug at Liverpool. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will welcome their arch-rivals Liverpool to Old Trafford ahead of the high voltage Premier League clash at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Solskjaer aims veiled dig at Mourinho as he seeks to return
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits Dejan Lovren is unlikely to feature against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday night. Lovren is still recovering from a hamstring injury sustained against Wolves last month and the Croatia international did not travel with his team-mates to the club's warm-weather training camp in Marbella.
Liverpool's Lovren unlikely to face Bayern, says Klopp
Yes, it sounds natural with "next few", as clairanne said, but odd without "next" - "next hours." For the movie sentence, I would drop "next" and say, "The movie will probably start within the hour"
Urgent Care Centers | Walk-In Medical Clinics | NextCare
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 17, 2019, with the headline 'Son helps South Korea to win Asian Cup group'.
Son Heung-min helps South Korea beat China 2-0 at Asian Cup
Football: Singapore Premier League club Warriors barred from foreign hires by Ministry of Manpower for second time - straitstimes Oil royalty claim: Kelantan withdraws suit against Petronas
The Times & The Sunday Times
Football: West Ham's Michail Antonio scores winner as Spurs
Sergio Ramos scored twice to put Real Madrid on the brink of the Copa del Rey semi-finals as they came from behind to beat Girona 4-2 in a thrilling first leg on Thursday.
Football: Sergio Ramos double puts Real Madrid within sight
Barcelona took a step closer to the La Liga title after earning a hard-fought 2-1 win over Real Sociedad at the Nou Camp. Barca put one hand on title after edging past Sociedad
watch premier league live streaming quality
watch coppa america live streaming barcelona
watch coppa america live streaming cricfree
watch coppa america live streaming manchester united
watch tamil nadu premier league live streaming
watch live soccer game barcelona vs real madrid
watch champions league live streaming manchester united
watch soccer online free streaming live liverpool
watch coppa america live streaming totalsportek
soccer tv live football streaming gratuit
watch coppa america live streaming zip
watch premier league live streaming xbox
watch champions league draw live stream total sportek
free watch champions league live streaming
watch champions league live streaming now free
how to watch uefa champions league live streaming
watch uefa champions league live streaming free online youtube
watch coppa america live streaming xbox one
watch soccer live streaming juventus vs manchester united
watch live streaming soccer world cup
watch soccer live football streaming - ronaldo7.net
watch soccer online free streaming live bbc
free watch soccer live streaming
watch coppa america live streaming india vs england
watch coppa america live streaming hd free
watch coppa america live streaming ufc
watch soccer online free streaming live reddit
watch coppa america live streaming crictime
watch champions league live streaming mobile
watch soccer online free streaming live espn
watch karnataka premier league live streaming
watch premier league live streaming online
watch coppa america live streaming kenya
watch indian premier league live stream online
watch coppa america live streaming usa
watch coppa america live streaming portugal
watch champions league simulcast live stream
watch coppa america live streaming total sportek
watch champions league live streaming now
where to watch free live soccer streaming online
watch live soccer streaming on iphone
watch soccer am online live streaming
watch live soccer streaming free android
watch live stream soccer games online free
watch premier league matches live streaming
watch epl live streaming on iphone
watch soccer online free streaming live
watch coppa america live streaming without cable
watch coppa america live streaming indonesia
free live football streams watch live streaming tv premier league
watch coppa america live streaming online
watch uefa champions league draw live streaming youtube
watch live premier league football streaming online for free iraqgoals
watch soccer live streaming xbox
watch coppa america live streaming vf
watch uefa champions league quarter final draw live streaming
watch champions league final live streaming online
watch coppa america live streaming sctv
live football watch free live football streaming free soccer
watch champions league live streaming jamaica
watch coppa america live streaming ronaldo7
watch coppa america live streaming mobile
watch champions league live streaming kenya
watch coppa america live streaming qatar
watch coppa america live streaming hotstar
watch champions league live streaming espn
super soccer tv live streaming napoli vs juventus
watch sky sports premier league online free streaming live
watch coppa america live streaming now
watch coppa america live streaming india
watch soccer live streaming zee tv
watch coppa america live streaming online free
watch soccer aid live stream
watch soccer live streaming zimbabwe
watch premier league live streaming vk
watch soccer live streaming kenya vs ethiopia
watch champions league live stream gratis
watch coppa america live streaming nz
watch soccer online free streaming live english
watch soccer game live espn
watch coppa america live streaming espn
watch premier league live stream hd
watch coppa america live streaming spain
how to watch premier league live streaming
watch sky sports premier league live streaming
watch soccer games live stream free app
cpl 2018 live streaming watch caribbean premier league t20 2018
watch coppa america live streaming direct
watch champions league live streaming bt sport
watch champions league live streaming canada
super soccer tv live streaming persib
watch coppa america live streaming australia
watch soccer online free live streaming livetv ru
www.watch premier league live stream.com
watch premier league live streaming free
watch coppa america live streaming xfinity
how to watch soccer live streaming free
watch coppa america live streaming dailymotion
watch champions league live streaming pakistan
#league2 #ucl #juventus #premierleague #coys #chocolatecoffee #gooners #24x7 #seriea #americanfootball #frasirap #adidasslipon #soccer #fcbarcelona #zinedinezidane #realmadridcf #lionelmessi #pagani #nutmeg #manunited #soccer #elcasico #linkstreaming #winner #lfc #portsmouthfc #livestreams #meunier #zidane #villarealcf #vip #liverpoolcity #alissonbecker #Vip45 #klopp #ballondor #roadtrip #serieatim #leomessi #kopisusu #MyDubai #sumbertv #midnight #boxing #conference #copaamerica #nikesoccer #battuteepiche #mane #england #bayernmunich #transfernews #golf #lovefootball #panini #arsenalfantv #Suarez #jadwalbolahariini #footballfans #realmadrid #comico #calciatoribrutti #messi #ignoranza #livesports #hoffenhiem #neymar #liverpoolfc #PartyTime #manchestercity #championship #championsleague #arsenal #thomasmeunier #Celtic #freekicks #gunners #mancityvsliverpool #liverpoolfans
No comments:
Post a Comment