While Zinedine Zidane watches football from the sidelines, one of his greatest exploits could be equaled tomorrow. Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid will indeed play the Intercontinental Cup with the opportunity to add a fifth trophy to its 2024 calendar year. This would be a first since 2017, a year when Zidane led the Merengues to a historic quintuple: Liga, Champions League, Spanish Super Cup, European Super Cup and Club World Cup.
With La Liga, the Champions League, the European Super Cup and the Spanish Super Cup already in his pocket this year, Carlo Ancelotti, another football monument, is on the verge of matching a feat that many thought unattainable.
Zidane still on standby
Since his departure from Real Madrid in 2021, Zidane has remained curiously in the background, without a club or position to match his ambitions. Despite his impressive record of 11 titles as Madrid coach, which places him as the second most successful coach in the history of Real behind the incomparable Miguel Muñoz, the Frenchman is desired.
Several rumors have linked him to major European clubs or even prestigious national teams, but no offer seems to have convinced Zidane. Between strategic patience and high demands, he remains a man in the shadows, carefully scrutinizing the world of football without actively taking his place in it.
Looking towards Doha
On Wednesday, in Doha, Zidane will undoubtedly closely follow the performance of Real Madrid, a club to which he gave everything, whether as a player or as a coach. The prospect of seeing Carlo Ancelotti equal his 2017 record adds a special dimension to this clash. If Ancelotti succeeds, the feat will once again underline Real Madrid’s exceptional consistency in winning major trophies.
Zidane, although absent from the benches for several years, remains an essential figure in the history of the Castilian club. His legacy, combining success on the field and behind the scenes, continues to influence Madrid’s present.
