MADRID (REUTERS) - Real Madrid favourite Zinedine Zidane returned for a second spell as coach on Monday (March 11) with plans to rebuild the Spanish football giants, who have fallen into crisis since he left in May after winning an unprecedented third straight Champions League title.
Zidane also won a Liga title in 2017 among nine trophies before standing down, having taken the club to the European summit, but they have endured a miserable season in his absence, first sacking Julen Lopetegui and then Santiago Solari.
Real president Florentino Perez has turned again to Zidane, who stepped in for Rafael Benitez in 2016 and quickly guided the team to Champions League glory, but this time he will be without the club's all-time top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portugal forward's departure in July to Juventus has had a big impact on Real this season while their other key players, like Marcelo, Isco and Gareth Bale, have struggled and Zidane has a big job on his hands as he prepares to shake things up.
"Things will change, in every way. We have to change things for the years to come," he told a news conference on Monday at the Bernabeu. "Now the important thing is that I am back, and there is time to talk and see what needs to be done."
Perez explained that Zidane's return was to help restore the club's pride after a painful year.
"This season, we have not got the results we wanted and our responsibility is to put into action the reaction the team needs," he said at Zidane's presentation.
Â
The Frenchman must oversee a regeneration by using the young players Solari brought through, including 18-year-old forward Vinicius Junior, left-back Sergio Reguilon and midfielder Marcos Llorente, as well as welcoming major new signings.
Chelsea's Eden Hazard is likely to be a prime target, with the Belgium forward having previously spoken of his admiration for Zidane, who won the World Cup as a player with France.
"Everyone knows the respect I have for Zidane as a player but also as a manager, he was my idol," Hazard once told Belgian TV. "To play under Zidane would be a dream."
Spanish newspaper Marca ran a poll on Monday with 56 per cent of over 128,000 respondents saying Hazard should be Real's main transfer target, with Tottenham Hotspur's England striker Harry Kane in second place on 10 per cent and Neymar third with nine.
Diario Sport reported that Paris Saint-Germain's Neymar, once of Barcelona, is Madrid's big transfer target as they bid to fill the hole left by Ronaldo and are willing to spend up to €350 million (S$534.15 million) on the Brazil forward.
Speaking to reporters after Zidane's presentation, Perez also joked about Neymar's PSG strike partner Kylian Mbappe.
"Zidane's French, so maybe he can do something about (signing) Mbappe," said the Real Madrid chief.
In Marca's poll, 74 per cent of fans voting said the attack was the area of the team in most need of reinforcement.
But Madrid have also struggled in midfield this season, with German international Toni Kroos and Ballon d'Or winner Luka Modric, a World Cup runner-up with Croatia, not at their best.
Zidane must now evaluate his squad before deciding if Madrid need to reinforce the midfield as well as which of the players frozen out by Solari can be brought back into the fold.
Spanish international midfielder Isco was a key player for Zidane, especially in 2017 playing in the hole behind Ronaldo and Karim Benzema as Madrid charged to a La Liga and Champions League double, but fell out of favour the next season.
A woman has accused Brazil football star Neymar of raping her in Paris, according to a Sao Paulo police report seen by Reuters. Neymar's representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Brazil soccer star Neymar denies alleged rape in Paris
Synonyms for High stakes gambler in Free Thesaurus. Antonyms for High stakes gambler. 1 synonym for high roller: big spender. What are synonyms for High stakes gambler?
Gambling stakes -- Crossword clue | Crossword Nexus
Football: Playing the OLE United way, Football News & Top
PARIS (Reuters) - Edinson Cavani is a major doubt for Paris St Germain's Champions League clash with Manchester United after picking up a thigh injury in his team's 1-0 Ligue 1 win over Girondins de Bordeaux on Saturday. The Uruguay striker left the pitch on the stroke of halftime holding his thigh
Soccer: PSG's Cavani doubtful for Man United game - Reuters
Valencia set up a Copa del Rey showdown with Barcelona as they reached the final for the first time in 11 years by beating Real Betis 1-0 at a bouncing Mestalla on Thursday where a second-half
Valencia to face Barca in Copa final after seeing off Betis
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 14, 2019, with the headline 'Tough summer for EPL chasing pack'. Print Edition | Subscribe. Topics:
Tough summer for EPL chasing pack - theworldnews.net
BERLIN (Reuters) - German champions Bayern Munich have not yet made an offer for Manchester City winger Leroy Sane despite their long-standing desire to sign him, club CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
Why Bayern Munich have not yet bid for Man City winger Leroy Sane
Manchester City remain a point behind Liverpool in the Premier League title race after a Sergio Aguero penalty secured them a 1-0 victory over West Ham at the Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola's side
Aguero penalty gives Man City 1-0 win over West Ham - The
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has said the club will trigger an extension clause in Toby Alderweireld's contract.. The Belgium defender will now be contracted to Spurs until the summer of
Tottenham to trigger Alderweireld one-year contract extension
Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi will undergo surgery after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon. The 18-year-old winger is set to miss the rest of the season after being taken off in the 41st minute
Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi says his season is over - Sportstar
Football: Everton dish out 4-0 thrashing to awful Manchester United to dim their top-four EPL hopes, Football News & Top Stories April 21, 2019 Gilead's NASH drug fails to meet late-stage study goal
Asian markets muted on sluggish growth - theworldnews.net
City can reduce the gap back to a point with a win over Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, but Juergen Klopp's unbeaten side will now enjoy their Christmas dinner perched in first
Liverpool seal Christmas top spot as Salah and Van Dijk sink
Coach tells Zaniolo to stay focused despite brace, Football
Warnock hails Cardiff's response to Sala tragedy, Football
0 comments:
Post a Comment