3 ways new boss Zinedine Zidane has rejuvenated Real Madrid
Real Madrid looks like a team reborn under new manager Zinedine Zidane.
Star forward Cristiano Ronaldo said as much Sunday, explaining that he and his teammates empathise more with Zidane than with former manager Rafa Benitez.
Here are three reasons how and why Zidane has brought new life to Real Madrid:
Zidane is an inspiration; Benitez is not
"Zizou" is an icon of French football. He was instrumental in France's 1998 FIFA World Cup victory and was also one of Real Madrid's famous "Galacticos"-era players.
Conversely, Benitez only ever played with Madrid's reserves. As a manager, he won both La Liga and the Champions League a decade ago. When he took over at Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti had just left, so in the eyes of the Madrid faithful, it was very much a step back.
Benitez's reputation has suffered of late: He was often the butt of Jose Mourinho's jokes, and Mourinho still commands tremendous respect in the Spanish capital.
Zidane has the sort of legacy that this current crop of Madrid players can look to for inspiration. It's why Zidane has the players' confidence: He's one of them.
Former Madrid manager Fabio Capello puts it best: "(Benitez) tried to impose himself too brusquely and that wasn't accepted by the squad, above all because he never played at the highest level."
Zidane has the respect of the fans, media
It sounds strange but under Benitez, Real Madrid's players were relentlessly booed by their own fans, even when Madrid once scored 10 goals in a match. It was no rare sight to see players like Ronaldo telling fans to calm down after scoring.
They never looked woeful under Benitez: Madrid still defeated opponents by huge scorelines, still competed for the La Liga and Champions League titles this season.
Still ... something was off.
Fans and the Spanish press caught "Benitez out!" fever. Every mistake spelled the end of days for Benitez. There were constant reports of discontent among the team's ranks.
Benitez's noose was tightened in the court of public opinion.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger describes social media as "one of the problems that football has to face in the coming years."
When Benitez was sacked, Twitter had a field day.
Benitez loves Real Madrid. He even cried during his introductory press conference. But it was always a one-sided love.
Zidane doesn't have this problem; his appointment was lauded by the press and by former Madrid players. His shirt was even put back on sale in the Madrid shop.
Real Madrid's players can play easier knowing they have the support of the fans behind them. It's one less pressure, and it is a big one. And, for Zidane, it's a factor he says he needs in order to succeed.
"I want total support from the fans. It's fundamental for me," Zidane said. "I want the fans to enjoy themselves every time we play at the Bernabeu. That they enjoy watching the team and the players."
Zidane's style suits Madrid
Make no mistake about it: Zidane isn't just a pretty face.
Under Zidane, Real Madrid is playing attractive football once more. Los Blancos put in back-to-back five-goal performances in the last two matches.
Zidane quickly and publicly asked his players to improve their fitness, but also managed to find a way for the Madrid "BBC" - Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Ronaldo - to function by way of focusing not on their share of the field but, instead, on their work-rates.
"I'm very happy with the work of all three of them, not only with the ball," Zidane said. "They've worked a lot in defence for the team and that's the most important for me. Offensively we're always going to cause the opposition problems with the ball, but defensively the work of the whole team has been impressive."
Midfielder Luka Modric spoke about some of the tactical changes now being implemented at the club.
"He has his own ideas and his ways of implementing them," Modric said. "It's just the beginning, but he's made it clear that he wants compact lines, for us to get close to our opponents and press high up the pitch when we lose the ball to win it back quickly."
Finally, and most importantly, Zidane has backed his players and their talent:
"Nothing has changed among the players. What's changed is the coach, and I'm going to try and make them play in the best way possible."