Despite being one of the greatest ever players and one of the legends at Real Madrid, there was a danger of Zinedine Zidane losing his job after just six months.

He had taken over from Rafa Benitez midway through the 2015-16 season, but he failed to bring the league title to the Santiago Bernabeu. Despite seeing a massive collapse from Barcelona towards the end of the campaign,Zidane was unable to get the club to their first league title since the 2011-12 campaign.

Just when it seemed that the Frenchman was going to be disappointed in his first campaign as a boss, the club crowned it up in the best possible way by winning the Champions League. A 5-4 win on penalties saw Real Madrid beat their local rivals Atletico Madrid after the game finished 1-1 after extra time. This was the second victory over the same opponent in the last three years. Madrid managed to beat their local rivals in the 2014 final to win the La Decima. They have now extended the record of European cups to 11 following this victory. President Florentino Perez has just confirmed thatZidane will remain as a manager for Madrid going into the next season.

“It’s an amazing feeling.I can’t describe how it feels. It’s amazing and the boys gave everything. The club, the fans have been amazing on this journey and they deserve it. Players say things like that about Champions League wins because it’s the standard language of the celebration, and because of the history and prestige attached to the competition,” said the Frenchman in the hours after winning the Champions League title for the first time as a manager. Zidane joins the few list of names to have won the trophy both as a player and as a manager.

Real Madrid has beaten Getafe 5-1 to put the pressure on Barcelona.

The Madrid team is now only 1 point behind Barcelona but having played one more game. This win proves that Real Madrid is steadily progressing under Zidane and that they are still present in the title race.

Karim Benzema, who has been snubbed by the French national team, opened the scoring in the 29th minute thanks to a James cross. Real Madrid did have many occasions before this goal, but they failed to beat the Getafe’s goalkeeper, Vicente Guaita, who made some excellent saves to deny James and Isco.

Real Madrid will score a second goal just before half-time with Benzema combining well with Isco on the edge of the box. The precise finish by Isco will not give Guaita any chance.

The third goal will be scored by Gareth Bale just after half time thanks to a fantastic pass by Karim Benzema. The Welshman will have too much pace for the Getafe defence. Getafe will take advantage of a let off by Real Madrid to get a goal back thanks to Sarabia.

But Real Madrid will thrash any hope of a comeback by Getafe by scoring a fourth goal through James. The latter will benefit from an excellent pass from Lucas Vazquez.

Cristiano Ronaldo will score the fifth goal in the closing stage of the game. He will take advantage of a quick break by Jese Rodriguez to score his 31st league goal of this campaign. This win help keeps Real Madrid’s dream of the title alive.

A few weeks back, Zidane conceded that it would be difficult to catch Barcelona and fast forward a few weeks, Madrid is in the semi-final of the Champions League and may also end up with the Spanish title.

Former teammate of Zinedine Zidane, Savio believes that the Frenchman might lose everything that he has built upon during his playing career.

Real Madrid’s Zidane is considered to be one of the best players of his generation after having lifted just about every major title there is to win not only with his clubs but also with his national side as he lifted the World Cup title back in 1998 and has been able to secure the Champions League. These are the biggest competitions that there are to win at club and national level.

Savio is a retired Brazilian winger who played alongside Zidane in Real Madrid and Savio believes that his former teammate is at a huge risk of losing everything that he has gained during the entirety of his playing career, after having decided to take up the managerial position of Real Madrid.

“It’s not a question of ability. I was surprised because he’s a footballer with a massive history and an idol at Real Madrid. To risk it all as a coach is difficult. Real Madrid is a club with a lot of pressure. If it doesn’t go well this decision could destroy everything he built as a player.” Former teammate of Zidane, Savio said.

If things go bad for Zidane as the head coach of Real Madrid, it can certainly be a big blow for the Frenchman as he has turned into an icon for the Spanish club.

The problem with taking charge a club as big as Real Madrid is that they are constantly changing managers in search of someone who can consistently guide the main squad to big triumphs but that doesn’t always happen, especially taking into consideration their rivals, Barcelona who are widely regarded to be as the best team in the world.

If Zidane is not able to guide Real Madrid to victories against world class teams and fails to win the titles that the president and the rest of the head chiefs want him to achieve then being sacked is a real possibility and it can certainly hamper the legacy that he has created throughout his playing career but he will still remain being an invaluable figure who has cemented his place in the history-books not only of Real Madrid but in the sport as well.

New Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane claims that he should not be compared with former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola even though the duo have shared a similar path in their careers.

Guardiola was a combative midfielder for the Catalan club and he later gained managerial experience with the Barcelona B team. Even though he did not have any managerial experience outside the club, he was given the ultimate job of managing one of the biggest clubs in the world – Barcelona. The gamble turned out to be a major hit after Guardiola embarked on transforming Barcelona into one of the most successful teams ever.

Now as a manager of Bayern Munich, he has been successful but not on a similar scale. Still, he is regarded as one of the greatest managers in world football even before the age of 50. Zidane remains as one of the greatest players to have played football. He has been with Real Madrid in several capacities over the last decade. Now, he has been given the job of guiding the team through. Madrid recently parted company with Rafa Benitez after poor form since the start of the season. There have already been comparisons between Zidane and Guardiola. The Frenchman has requested the media not to make such comparisons.

“You shouldn’t make comparisons with me and Guardiola. He has achieved incredible things. Guardiola is a fantastic coach and what he is doing is very impressive.Guardiola is Guardiola. I will do my best. I will not compare myself with anyone. I never did it as a player and I won’t do it now. Good football has always been important at this place and I am going to continue that. It has to be offensive football, balanced, and nothing else. To win is essential at this club,” said Zidane.

Rafa Benitez has stated that being labelled as being defensive does not have any implications on him or on the style with which he prepares for the next game.

Many were sceptical about the appointment of Rafa Benitez as the replacement for Carlo Ancelotti. The Spaniard is known for playing defensive style of football, which is not really in the ethos of Real Madrid. It was one of the main reasons behind the departure of Jose Mourinho after just three years at the club. Benitez had a difficult start to his life at Santiago Bernabeu after opening his account with a draw.

Since then, however, performances have improved tremendously and the club now lead the la Liga table. A 3-1 win against Celta de Vigo kept them at the top of the table despite Barcelona managing to win their game in hand. This victory was achieved despite the team suffering from numerous injuries. The likes of Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, and James Rodriguez have all missed recent matches due to injury. The ever reliable Cristiano Ronaldo was a major factor in the win over Celta de Vigo after the Portuguese scored the opening goal, which helped ease some nerves within the team.

Benitez says that accusations about his style of football are baseless since his team are top of the table.”I have been in football for many years and unfortunately part of what is made in press conferences seems to have more impact than what happens in games.For Madridistas, watching a match with intensity and determination – that is the greatest joy.My career has a number of records and titles achieved, regardless of what they want to say. I do not care how I am labelled.The important thing is the team, to built on a base of good results and feelings is the most positive,” said Benitez.

In the latest pre-season matches of Real Madrid, they have lost matches against Bayern Munich and against Valerenga but Rafael Benitez believes that these recent defeats are not a reason to start getting worried about his team and about their chances of competing with Barcelona in the upcoming La Liga season.

“We’re talking about pre-season, friendlies and the team created enough to score. Our precision let us down. We’re not a hundred percent satisfied, but I’ll take away the positives, I’m pleased with how we pressured, the way we won the ball back and created chances. We’re missing players. Our top-scorers aren’t here. If you gave them 20 chances then these players would have scored, but the important thing is to create openings, that the team is solid and press in the opposition area as we did.” Real Madrid’s Rafael Benitez said after his team could only muster a goal-less draw when playing against Valerenga on August 9.

Cristiano Ronaldo was not featured in this match as he had picked up a minor injury and Benitez decided to leave the Portuguese player off of the pitch. There also were a number of other important players which did not perform in this friendly encounter including: Pepe, Benzema, Toni Kroos and Sergio Ramos.

The match finalized with a final scoreboard of 0-0 as neither side was able to score a single goal even though Real Madrid dominated the game and launched a total of 34 shots.

Prior to this underwhelming result, Real Madrid had played against Bayern Munich and lost against the German club as Bayern Munich came out on top with a 1-0 triumph and lifted the Audi Cup at the Allianz- Arena.

These aren’t the kind of results that Rafael Benitez and the supporters of the Spanish club want to see especially now that the Spanish League is edging closer and closer. Barcelona is going through a much more impressive pre-season as they have already sealed yet another silverware after defeating Sevilla and won the UEFA Super Cup.

Barcelona are the main rivals of Real Madrid and even though Rafael Benitez said that he is calm about his players despite their latest results, it’s something that should start to concern Benitez as he has a tough road ahead of him in his first season as the coach of Real Madrid who are not only expected to compete against Barcelona in the Spanish League but also make a genuine charge in the Champions League.

Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane is of the opinion that Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba should consider a move to the Spanish club if he ever decides to leave the Italian outfit.

The French international is regarded as one of the highly talented midfielders in the world. He is seen as a future contender for the FIFA Ballon d’Or award. A few years ago, it was almost certain that he would be leaving Juventus in order to compete at a club that fights for the Champions League every season. This has not been the case at the Old Lady, who last won the competition back in 1996.

Juventus have turned as a major European force in this campaign and they have reached the final where they will be competing against Barcelona. Even though the Spanish club are seen as the big favourites to land the title, Juventus have the ability to spring a surprise since they have a very strong defence. Pogba is at the front of the defence protecting his back four while also making runs in order to support his teammates in the attack. Chelsea, Manchester United and PSG have been spoken as potential destinations for the 21-year-old. The presence of Zidane at Real Madrid, though, could alter his future destination.

“I don’t know where he will end up, I have no information. Pogba has the quality to play wherever he wants.Now, if he has to leave Juventus… I adore Real Madrid and the best players play here, so I think it would be good for him to come.This is not a current issue right now but he has incredible potential,” said Zidane, who is in charge of the B team at Real Madrid. He is widely expected to be the coach of the first-team in the future.

Real Madrid have faced many disappointments against archrivals Atletico Madrid in recent years but none more so than this campaign. Carlo Ancelotti has failed to beat his opposition counterpart – Diego Simeone – in six attempts this campaign. Speaking ahead of the Champions League quarter-final match between the two teams, the former Chelsea boss stated that Simeone has proved in the last five years that he is one of the best managers in the world. The Argentine managed to do the unthinkable by leading Atletico Madrid, who have been in the shadows of their illustrious rivals for several decades, to a league title last season.

They almost managed to beat Real in the final of the Champions League. The two teams are coming up against each other in the quarter-finals in what will be a major test for Ancelotti. Real Madrid’s hopes of winning the league title have been rekindled this weekend after Barcelona drew level with Sevilla. However, this is unlikely to take any focus away from the European competition in which Madrid are the defending champions. Ancelotti himself is under huge pressure after seeing the team suffered three defeats in the month of March alone. A 3-0 win over Eibar during the weekend marked the preparations for this match.

“What can I say about Simeone?. He is a great coach, I like him a lot. He has proved himself, he is one of the best in the world. It’s an honour to face him and also a problem.We don’t have an obsession with Atletico, but with reaching the final of the Champions League. Our objective is not to beat Atletico, but to dream of winning the Champions League.Every match presents its own problem. Every match has its idea. Every defeat was different. It’s difficult to say what happened,” said Ancelotti.

Carlo Ancelotti is one of the most experienced managers in football as the Italian coach has been in charge of top European clubs including: Juventus, Ac.Milan, Chelsea, PSG and Real Madrid which is the club that he is currently in charge of.

The Premier League, The Champions League, The Serie A title are just some of the pieces of silverware that Ancelotti has lifted during his managerial career but it seems like all of these accomplishments simply aren’t enough for the Italian coach as he has expressed his dream to coach the Italian national football team.

“My dream is to coach the Italian national team. And I hope in the future to realize it, because I’d like to win a World Cup with Italy.” Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti said during a conference which was made at a university.

Carlo Ancelotti has more than enough experience to coach a national side in the caliber of Italy as he knows what it takes to handle big teams and high profile players but the problem and main obstacle that will interfere with Ancelotti on becoming the next coach of the Italian side is Antonio Conte.

Ever since Antonio Conte took charge of the Italian national football team, they haven’t lost a single match and Conte has already stated that he intends to remain in his managerial position at least until the upcoming 2016 Euro’s.

“I’ll stay in my post until the European Championships in 2016. Resigning has never been an option. I think I’m a very responsible person, especially in difficult times, and this is one of those times. I made an important commitment and I intend to respect that.’’ Former Juventus manager said.

Italy is currently located in the 1st spot of Group H of the 2016 Euro’s qualification group stages as they have the same amount of points as Croatia.

If Ancelotti truly wants to coach the Italian national side, it could happen someday but it will not happen anytime soon as Antonio Conte is doing an exemplary job.

Former Roma and Italy star Franco Tancredi says that Carlo Ancelotti is the best coach in the world.

The Real Madrid boss has had the privilege of managing some of the top clubs in the world like AC Milan, Chelsea, and Real Madrid. He has won numerous accolades including the Champions League three times in his career. Ancelotti continued his success at the Spanish club by getting them to the FIFA Club World Cup title. This puts Madrid as the world champions after more than a decade.Tancredi has praised the way in which he has made Madrid an attractive club once again.

During the days of Jose Mourinho, Madrid were seen as the anti-football party. Ancelotti has brought attractive football to the club while he has also been engaged in less confrontation with opposition managers and other issues. The fact that Ancelotti simply gets on with the job makes him an ideal manager for a club like Madrid with a lot of political pressure.Tancredi says that the former Milan midfielder is hugely benefited by his character. His soft nature helps him get the best out of players at every moment. Despite losing top players like Xabi Alonso and Angel di Maria, Madrid have been performing even better than last season.

“At the moment, he’s the best in the world, because he makes every team play well. This year, Madrid lost two of their best in [Angel] Di Maria and Xabi [Alonso], and despite that, he’s perfectly got the team back together. Plus, all the players talk about how brilliant he is, even the ones who aren’t playing.He’s a gentleman, a man with a lot of discipline. He likes to joke, but when he gets angry, he gets really serious. To listen to a global star like Cristiano [Ronaldo] talk so well of him makes me feel proud,” saidTancredi.