Madrid finally look to Barcelona blueprint with Zidane appointment

After watching rivals Barcelona enjoy success under Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique, Florentino Perez hopes the hiring of a former club legend will reap similar rewards

Real Madrid have finally decided to take a leaf out of the Barcelona book. With Rafa Benitez now in the past, the future is all about Zinedine Zidane, a man who graced the Santiago Bernabeu as a player and - it is hoped - can inspire similar success to that achieved by Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique at the Catalan club.

Florentino Perez has long looked enviously at Barca and the remarkable results attained by those two homegrown heroes at Camp Nou. So with coaching options running out and his credit running dangerously low, he has placed his faith in Real's former France icon.


Whether it will work remains to be seen, but it was a slick start by Zidane at his presentation on Tuesday. While Benitez always appeared to be on the defensive, much like his teams on the pitch, Zizou charmed the media and watching fans as he spoke of playing "attacking, exciting, winning football". It sounded good.

He will need more than a few sound bites to convince the supporters, the players and the harshest judge of them all: Perez. However, even in an appearance in front of the press pack it soon became clear that he is a figure who commands the maximum respect.

Benitez never did, not really. But Zidane, for everything he represents and all that he achieved as a player and a Madrid icon in his five-year spell at the club between 2001 and 2006, will start at an altogether different level and every player among the side's star-studded squad will look up to him. No doubt about that.

That is important in a group comprising of many of the world's most expensive footballers. Managing the egos is half the battle for a Madrid coach, which is partly why father figures like Vicente del Bosque and Carlo Ancelotti had so much success in their tenures at the capital club.

Guardiola, of course, was the pin-up for many of Barcelona's midfielders when he took over at the Catalan club with only B-team experience - like Zidane - in 2008. Xavi and Andres Iniesta both idolised Pep as youngsters and were eager to learn from their hero. And even though most of Madrid's players have been brought in from elsewhere, Perez will hope his players are similarly starstruck by Zizou.

In truth, Perez has been keen to make this appointment for some time. In the summer, however, Zidane had failed to win promotion in his sole season in charge of Castilla in Spain's Segunda B. He told Florentino he was not ready and the club chief brought in Benitez instead.

Even a few weeks ago, the Frenchman reiterated that he was still learning his trade. However, he has accepted the role this time around as Rafa departs after only 25 games in charge. And with Castilla second in their division, he now steps up to the very highest level. But he doesn't want to be compared to Guardiola.

"Pep is Pep," the 43-year-old said on Tuesday. "What Guardiola is doing is fantastic, but I don't want to compare. I didn't as a player and I won't as a coach. I have to do it my way. I have to be Zidane."

Of course he does. And even though he has not been 100 per cent convincing in Segunda B, it is difficult for coaches to play attractive football and shine in that category. And in addition, Zidane has worked as an advisor already at Real and as an assistant to Ancelotti in 2013-14. He knows the club, he knows the expectations, he knows the drill.

It was he who hit that wonderful winner as Madrid claimed their ninth European Cup crown in 2002 and Zidane also assisted Ancelotti as Real claimed La Decima in 2014. Now, as the 11th coach to work under Perez, he will be charged with winning the competition for the 11th time: La Undecima.

The image of Zidane screaming instructions at Madrid's players during the final in Lisbon against Atletico is one that will capture the imagination of the club's fans. In it, he shows all the passion needed from a prospective coach and as a former icon on the pitch, he ticks all the boxes for what may be the last throw of the dice for the much-maligned Perez project.

Zidane saw it all during his time as a player, when Madrid went from European champions to also-rans as Florentino fired coach after coach and Barcelona ended up dominating under Frank Rijkaard in the Frenchman's final years at the club.

Since then, Guardiola and Luis Enrique have led the Catalans to spectacular success while Madrid have faded save for an excellent 2014 under Ancelotti - with Zidane alongside him.


So in a desperate attempt to bring back some passion after Ancelotti was removed in the summer, Perez has looked to Barca for inspiration, in the hope that Zidane will be the answer for Los Blancos - and given time, he may well be. From advisor to assistant to youth team coach, he has taken all the necessary steps. Now, Madrid must be patient.