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Zidane making the most of his important new role:

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Zinedine Zidane, one of our times greatest players as of this summer,  is sportschief for Real Madrid. His role is quite difficult to explain, as it does not follow the “ordinary” routine that a sportschief has had before at the club. He acts as a mentor for the players, a PR-machine at events, a link between Mourinho and Florentino Pérez, and also as a scout, who suggests who the club should buy.

His latest capture for the club, Raphael Varane has quite delicately gelled in within the club. Varane has already made his mark with the club, capturing a wonderful highkick goal with the right foot a couple of weeks ago. He’s not like your ordinary centreback, but reminds me very much of a elegant centreback named Hierro.

When Varane came to the club he hated to be likened to the great Hierro, and surely no one is giving him that credit yet, but there are signs that he could grow to be a natural centreback, with an out of the ordinary ability for passing.  He is not your ordinary “kick it away” type of defender during dangerous situations, but prefers to pass the ball around smoothly. He is currently not featuring for the French National side but he will do so, according to Zidane:

“He surprises me because of his ability not to fear anything. He´s continuing in Real Madrid as he did in Lens, and when you are playing at the Bernabéu you can not play with fear. That is an inappropiate type of mindset. If he´s going to play in the European Championships is a matter for Laurent Blanc”.

Being Zidanes high-profile signing for this season, Varane will have to show everyone that he’s capable of producing. And then I mean in really big matches.  Carvalho is getting older and that is something you cannot deny, Varane will fit in nicely as time surpasses. And with Raúl Albiol heading for Málaga in the winter-market, there will be even more space for the young Frenchman. But having convinced Zidane doesn’t mean that he in the long end will impress Mourinho, too. Zidane does have a lot of power within the club’s administrary roles, but Mou takes the decisions.

As for Zidane he states“If I could coach the French National side? Everything in life is possible, why not?” as well admitting he doesn’t know if his son Enzo Zidane will play for France or Spain, when he makes it to those stages. So, Zidane is your “fixer”, somebody who makes small changes within the club that build up to something greater. Most people that have met Zidane say that it’s his persona that moves you mostly, the myth. Whether he will make the right signings for Real Madrid or not? Time will only tell.

Well, you got to give him the credit for the signing of Benzema, so far. But it’s also a basic fact that Zidane only agreed to the role because of Mourinho wanting him to. There is a huge risk that Zidane will leave this role when Mourinho leaves the club, when his  contract ends.

But Zidane will always act a role-model for Madridismo all over the world. He will in one or other way be synonomous with the club, for a number of  reasons. About the myth then… It is said that Thierry Henry, who was the French National side’s biggest star for many years after Zidane’s prescence, once came across Zizou (and with knowing that Henry was big at that time) and could only say: “I’m nothing”. Well that’s the usual response that Zidane gets from people meeting him.

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