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Zinedine Zidane is widely acknowledged as the greatest French player in football history. If the start of his coaching career is anything to go by, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him eventually become the most successful French manager as well.
So far, the Frenchman has only managed Real Madrid, who he excelled for as a player in the early 2000s. His time as Los Blancos' head coach came in two separate stints (2016-18, 2019-21), each of which lasted two years.
Zinedine Zidane's astonishing record as Real Madrid manager
The Frenchman has been in the Santiago Bernabeu dugout for 263 games, winning 174 of them, which gives him a terrific win percentage of 66. More importantly, he has won 11 trophies in nearly four seasons as a head coach. His haul includes three Champions League titles, two La Liga crowns, two FIFA Club World Cups, two UEFA Super Cups and two Spanish Super Cups.
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Zinedine Zidane, like his mentor Carlo Ancelotti, is one of just three coaches to have won three Champions League titles. The duo are also part of an elite seven-member group to have won the competition both as players as well as managers.
Los Blancos won three consecutive Champions League titles (2016-18) under Zidane. It made them only the third team (after Ajax and Bayern Munich) to accomplish the feat of doing a three-peat in Europe.
Zidane is currently on a sabbatical, although reports suggest he is eyeing the French national team job. As the Frenchman's absence from the dugout continues, we look at five of the best players he has managed at Real Madrid:
Honorable mentions: Rapahel Varane, Casemiro, Marcelo, Daniel Carvajal
#5 Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos has been a vital cog in Real Madrid's set-up ever since his arrival from Bayern Munich for just £22.25 million in 2014. Together with Luka Modric and Casemiro, Kroos has formed one of the most dominant midfield triumvirates of all time.
The German star is a calming influence in the middle of the park for Los Blancos. Composed in possession and efficient with his use of the ball, Kroos keeps things ticking and moves the ball around quickly to stretch the opposition. His neat short passes are complemented perfectly by his accurate long passing and crossfield diagonals.
Kroos has played 205 games under Zinedine Zidane, scoring 19 goals and providing 55 assists.
#4 Sergio Ramos
A bonafide Real Madrid icon and one of the greatest players in the Spanish giants' history, Sergio Ramos was Zinedine Zidane's captain at Real Madrid. The only reason he does not feature higher on this list is due to his persistent injury woes during the Frenchman's second spell at the club.
Sergio Ramos joined Real Madrid in 2005 from Sevilla and was already the most important presence in the locker room when Zidane first took over in 2016. He continued to display inspirational leadership and outstanding defending under the Frenchman before joining Zidane on his way out of the club last summer.
Ramos played 175 games for the French coach and was remarkably productive going forward despite operating as a centre-back. He scored 34 goals and laid down eight assists under Zidane.
#3 Luka Modric
Croatian maestro Luka Modric benefitted immensely from Zinedine Zidane's coaching. Despite being 31 when the French coach first took over at the Bernabeu in 2016, Modric aged like a fine wine under his tutelage.
While Kroos keeps the ball moving and Casemiro breaks up play, Modric is the most creative of Real Madrid's legendary midfield trio. Given the freedom to drift around the pitch, the Croatian uses his neat footwork and tidy dribbling to negotiate even the tightest of spaces.
His passing remains impeccable and the midfielder also poses a shooting threat from distance. With 16 goals and 30 assists in 202 games under Zidane, Modric was rewarded for his excellence with the 2018 Ballon d'Or award.
The Croatian captain's influence extends way beyond stats or numbers, and he will go down as one of the finest midfielders to have stepped on the pitch.
#2 Karim Benzema
French forward Karim Benzema flourished under the guidance of his compatriot. Like Modric, the striker seems to be getting better with age and continues to go from strength to strength.
With 217 appearances, Benzema was Zinedine Zidane's most capped player during their time together at Real Madrid. The striker repaid the faith of his manager by netting 108 goals and providing 49 assists.
After spending the majority of his career in the shadows of his illustrious teammates, Benzema has grown into Real Madrid's talisman in recent seasons. He came fourth in the 2021 Ballon d'Or vote, which is his best finish so far.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
No player has scored more goals for Zinedine Zidane than Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar has netted 112 times in just 114 games under the Frenchman while also providing 30 assists. He is four goals ahead of second-placed Karim Benzema, despite playing over 100 fewer games.
Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo formed a productive partnership at Real Madrid. The Portuguese forward won the 2017 Ballon d'Or while playing under the Frenchman, successfully defending his crown from the previous season.
The duo also led Real Madrid to three successive Champions League titles, a La Liga triumph, a Spanish Super Cup and back-to-back UEFA Super Cups and Club World Cups.
