Ranking the 5 greatest players coached by Zinedine Zidane
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.
Zidane has won 11 trophies in 4 years at Real Madrid, including 3 Champions League & 2 League titles.
That's one trophy in every 19 matches
A manager of this calibre is FREE, Do something @ManUtd https://t.co/T2y1YVZVkN
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.
Zinedine Zidane: “When I retire, I will tell people that I coached Toni Kroos. He is one of the all-time greats in his position.” https://t.co/1KmjBK6CzN
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.
Sergio Ramos has played with Zidane, against Zidane and is now playing for Zidane. Perfect match. 🇪🇸🇫🇷 https://t.co/G8dyJZ6fHf
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.