Cristiano Ronaldo – 9
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Cometh the hour, cometh the champion! This season saw a more mature version of Ronaldo as he often tracked back to help the team in defence. He also helped dominate the midfield rather than just wait for his teammates to pass the ball to him inside the box. He suffered a dip in form in the middle of the season and recovered brilliantly towards the end of the season. His ten goals in the Champions League knockouts won the tournament for his team single-handedly.
Toni Kroos – 9
Can a player ever be so calm and composed on the field like the German was throughout the season? Kroos is Real Madrid’s silent guardian as he quietly dictates the play in the midfield. He was at the top of his game throughout the season and was Real’s best player alongside Ronaldo and Marcelo. He always posed a threat to the opposition defenders during set-pieces as his inch-perfect crosses often found the heads of his teammates inside the box.
Marcelo – 9
Along with Cristiano Ronaldo and Toni Kroos, Marcelo is right at the top as the club’s best player in the 2016-17 season. He was defensively sound and in attack, he could have put most of the wingers in the world to shame. His runs on the left flank and the crosses he put in to the box had the opposition defence on their toes constantly.
Manager: Zinedine Zidane – 10
Anything less than 10 for manager Zinedine Zidane would be unfair as the Frenchman managed the team really well. In just 18 months, Zidane has achieved more than what most managers have achieved in their entire career. He became the first manager to successfully defend the Champions League crown and he also won Madrid’s elusive 33rd La Liga title.
He outsmarted most of the experienced managers and his tactical brilliance against Atletico Madrid in all the four Madrid derbies, Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals and Juventus in the finals was simply outstanding. He also made sure that the players didn’t burn out and rotated them well so that they maintained their fitness throughout the season.
