Editorial: Like Mourinho, Zinedine Zidane is no longer Special
Going down 2-1 in Catalonia, the Merengues found themselves sinking back down the table, a whole eight points from leaders Barcelona, despite being considered clear favourites at the beginning of the season.
However, worse than the veiled comments Florentino Perez made a few days ago (“Real Madrid must keep winning”) is the fact that Real Madrid have never made up an eight-point gap to win La Liga.
Interviewed late on Sunday by a Spanish radio, captain Sergio Ramos revealed that “it wouldn’t be the first team that a team caught up eight points”. It would for Real, anyway.
Just like Jose Mourinho, Zidane has earned only 20 points this season, in 10 games. Just like the Special One, he is eight points short, and things are starting to look bad for him.
Mourinho, it has to be remembered, left after ending that season fifteen points short of Tito Villanova’s Barcelona.
Fans of Real Madrid will point out that Fabio Capello’s 2006-2007 side started with 20 points. Then again, they were only three short of Barca, and were clearly rebuilding at the time. This team shouldn’t be in that situation… should it?
Giorgio Baratto, adapted by @EdoDalmonte