MADRID, (Reuters) – Exactly four months after succeeding Rafael Benitez and inheriting a Real Madrid side on the brink of institutional crisis, Zinedine Zidane completed the team’s revival by guiding them past Manchester City to the Champions League final.
As Real’s players celebrated reaching a second Champions League final in three years on Wednesday, it was easy to forget the chaotic season the club has endured.
The club sensationally failed to sign David de Gea on transfer deadline day in August due to an administration error, and were further embarrassed in December when thrown out of the King’s Cup for fielding an ineligible player against Cadiz.
There were also disappointments on the pitch under Benitez, culminating in a 4-0 humiliation at home to rivals Barcelona and sparking calls for president Florentino Perez to resign.
Although Real remain third in La Liga, the same position when Zidane arrived, the Frenchman has quelled the protests and cut the gap with leaders Barcelona to a single point.
Madrid are also in their best domestic form of the season, winning 10 league games in a row and there is an undeniable sense the players enjoy a tighter bond than under Benitez.
