Real Madrid Manager Zinedine Zidane
Although there are a couple of players I could have highlighted here, it is best to save the last spot for the man mostly responsible for the poor showing and aimless tactics we saw at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano vs. Cadiz. And that man is manager Zinedine Zidane.
He is one of the best managers in the world. Zidane’s recruitment and man-management are top-notch. This man can make a club with great talent the best in the world year after year with these skills. But while he is a strong tactical manager, he still must prove that he stands among his contemporaries in this regard.
Saturday’s match did not help his case, but his biggest problems were in his selection for the starting XI. He was too ambitious and failed to learn from a mistake last October when Real Madrid lost 1-0 to Mallorca.
No team in La Liga can be underestimated. Whether it is Mallorca, Cadiz, or a team Real did escape with a victory in 2020, Espanyol, every club in this league will bring their absolute best to Los Blancos. And it is up to Real to set the standard, understand this, and deliver.
They did not against Cadiz. There can be no excuses, because this is an unacceptable performance for a top club. Zidane must answer for this. Just as it is fair to criticize Benzema or Sergio Ramos if they play below their world-class standard, Zidane must also answer to fair criticism when he makes errors.