Zidane’s Magic, No ‘galactico’ Signings And Uncertainty

The departure of club superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and manager Zinedine Zidane in the summer of 2018 brought about waves of struggle for Real Madrid after a three-in-a-row Champions League triumph. After more than a half a season and two managerial sackings, Zidane was convinced to take charge again by president Florentino Perez. Although he could not turn the club’s fortunes immediately, Los Blancos did clinch the LaLiga title the following season, apart from the Spanish Super Cup glory. 

His performances earned him the Zamora Trophy for conceding just 20 goals in 34 games. The Spanish giants, on their way to LaLiga glory, managed to concede the second-least goals, apart from Atletico Madrid in the competition. 

Zidane’s record against their league rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid were particularly impressive. Real Madrid under the French legend are still undefeated at the Camp Nou. Most recently, the defending LaLiga champions crushed both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid this season. 

President Perez made it clear that no signings will be made in the previous summer window owing to the coronavirus pandemic. But the club did earn sufficient revenue with the sale of several key players including the likes of James Rodriguez and Achraf Hakimi. 

While Rodriguez was sold to Everton, Hakimi sealed a move to Inter Milan. Moreover, Bale’s struggling relationship with Zidane suggested that the Wales international could seek an exit. Although a permanent switch could not be realised, he did join Spurs on a season-long loan.