Real Madrid 2020/21 - A Journey To The Shore!
16th July 2020, Zidane is seen crying tears
of joy with his consort David Bettoni as moments ago Benzema had scored a brace to secure Real Madrid their 34th league title after what had been Zidane’s
most testing 38 games at Real Madrid as a coach. A season in which even the
most loyal of his fans were questioning if he should have risked his 3-peat legacy
to save Real Madrid, or Perez should have gone for the likes of Conte or
Mourinho who are more tactically astute according to a large number of fans. Real Madrid
went on to lose the CL Quarterfinal 2nd leg to Manchester City but
everyone at the club thought that the worst is behind them and the next season
will be easier with Hazard and Asensio returning and other youngsters taking up
more responsibility
Here we are 9 months later, 2 days before a Champions League semifinal against
Chelsea and 6 days from a game that will decide our destiny in La Liga. What
happened between these 9 months from winning the league and being on the verge
of defending it, is something that has probably never happened before in Madrid.
Young and old without discrimination, have all kept taking turns to the
infirmary with the total count coming to 57 different injuries & Covid related
absences. Freakishly, players in a position would also have their backups join
with them in rehab with an injury (Benzema & Jovic) (Carvajal & Odriozola)
(Mendy & Marcelo). For more than a month in February, Zidane had at his
disposal only 12-13 first team members available. You would think the Merengues
would have served their quota of health issues by now but then their manager,
Zinedine Zidane also gets Covid and has to miss games. The latest episode in this
series has been Marcelo getting elected as a polling supervisor through an entirely
random lottery which will mean he will miss the CL semifinal, what are the
odds?
Real Madrid faced many setbacks during these 9 months, dropping points to
Cadiz, Alaves, Elche, Osasuna, and others in the League, losing in the Supercup
to Athletic Bilbao, getting knocked out of CDR by Alcoyano, and risking
elimination from UCL after a loss both home and away to Shakhtar Donetsk. Throughout all this, Zidane’s fight or flight response to these situations has
been to go back to his proven trio of Modric-Casemiro-Kroos for one last time. A
midfield trio that has been already written off as the once-mighty but now
extinct combination that is old and tired to win any more games for Los Merengues.
Zidane like most often was proven right by his trusted soldiers, while, Kroos
provided control and Casemiro secured the fort, Modric put up performances that
a 35-year-old should put up only if he thought the Earth's survival depended on RM winning their games. Zidane’s favorite
lieutenant Benzema also rose to the occasion and carried the burden of Mt.Cross-more
Real Madrid offense on his shoulders.
What has also been admirable is the sanity with how Zidane has handled all this,
he has been questioned ruthlessly in the newspapers and also during the interviews.
There are many top-level managers in the business who could end up making a
toxic situation at the club when the crisis looks so out of their control,
Zidane, however, acts rationally and goes with the best way forward for the
club. He takes responsibility for defeat
and shields his players, even if it comes at the cost of his peril
Zidane like most other managers has his flaws, his treatment of youngsters can
be questionable, the lack of rotation this year can be blamed as one of the
reasons for the injury, maybe the likes of Militao, Blanco, Arribas &
Miguel should have been given more opportunities. But I doubt any other manager
that Perez would have appointed could have steered the ship out of the troubled
waters of 2020/2021 in a way that Zinedine Zidane has. As the ship reaches
closer to the shore, Real Madrid is in contention for two major trophies, one
that they are obliged to win and another that means the world to them. Whether
Zidane & Co. can take their ship to the shore is to be seen, but their
journey should be admired and given the respect it rightfully deserves.
Hala Madrid!
Historia que tú hiciste, Historia por hacer
Porque nadie resiste, Tus ganas de vencer!
History
you have made, history you will make!
Because no one can resist, your willingness to win!
Honorary mentions – Courtois &
Militao!
- Shephin Mathew
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