Real Madrid: 5 things we are thankful for in 2019-2020

Zinedine Zidane’s coaching genius

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane was on the hot seat at various points this season, and there were even rumblings that Los Blancos could replace him with former manager Jose Mourinho following the team’s awful 1-0 loss to RCD Mallorca.

However, Real has rebounded strongly since that debacle at the Iberostar Stadium, producing world-class performances in La Liga.

Zidane’s man-management skills are arguably the best in world football. He’s seen it all as one of the best players in history and has won three Champions League titles. That type of success is impossible to ignore, and while he can sometimes make poor tactical decisions (such as against Mallorca), those are often down to untimely experimentation that fails.

But Zidane should be praised for his willingness to experiment, especially in lower-stakes matches. When Zidane does decide to do something against conventional wisdom, it usually pays off. For example, he started Isco over Rodrygo and Gareth Bale against PSG, using a tweaked formation. Isco shined off the ball against PSG’s dominant midfield, and it led to a dominant performance that was only undone by defensive errors.

The way the former France star stands by his players is incredible, and he’s already had to navigate difficult situations with Thibaut Courtois and Bale, who have become targets for media criticism. Zidane has been an excellent leader, and he’s shown there isn’t a better manager for this job despite some doubts early in the season.