Despite having won two back-to-back Champions League titles, Zinedine Zidane‘s contributions are not given the amount of respect they deserve, reckons former Real Madrid midfielder Steve McManaman.
Ever since Zidane’s appointment, the Spanish giants have secured eight titles and are favourites to win the upcoming Champions League final in Kiev against Liverpool on Saturday.
And yet, McManaman is not impressed by the amount of praise Zidane gets.
“They do not give him (Zidane) enough merit.”
“He took over a dysfunctional team in difficulty, the players were not happy before he got there and now he has won two Champions Leagues.
“If Pep Guardiola was doing it, people would be singing from the rooftops.
“Imagine winning the Champions League three times… With all the money that moves around in world football, Zidane has spent relatively little, and that’s really incredible.
“Galacticos? That hasn’t happened since Zizou has been there, and it’s the same result: trophy, trophy, trophy, it’s exceptional.”
Zidane’s team has had a poor domestic season, finishing third in the league and having had to watch rivals Barcelona lift the La Liga, as well as the Copa del Rey.
However, McManaman, who has also played for Liverpool and Manchester City in the past, believes the French manager should stay with the Los Blancos ‘forever’.
The former England international is a huge fan of how Zidane manages player egos.
“I understand that some coaches don’t seem to be so proactive, I experienced it when I played with Vicente del Bosque,” he said.
“He was not a screamer or a super architect with elaborate training sessions, but he kept the egos happy and everyone knew where they were.
“He gave powerful speeches, he let the leaders lead in the dressing room and Zizou seems to have taken the same approach.
“I’m not saying they have a big egos, but they’re superstars, some of the best players in football history, so you need a special character, who manages them well.
“Zizou should be there forever, given what he has achieved.”