Zinedine Zidane is back and optimism has returned for Real Madrid after a difficult season at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The French coach was reappointed on Monday for a second spell as coach and replaces Santiago Solari for the final 11 games of the season, plus an additional three years after that.
The 46-year-old, who won nine trophies including three Champions League crowns in a trophy-laden two-and-half year spell, says he could not say no to president Florentino Perez and admitted he was excited to be returning, with his batteries recharged, after 10 months away.
Zidane said he had made mistakes in his first spell in charge and stated that he was focused on improving the team in the remainder of the current campaign before what is likely to be a rebuilding project in the summer.
Here is a look at five things he will have to address as he begins his second spell as coach on Tuesday…
Navas or Courtois in goal?
Real Madrid were on the verge of signing David De Gea in the summer of 2015, with Keylor Navas set to move to Manchester United, but the deal fell through at the last minute as the documents were not sent in time.
Navas stayed and when Zidane took over from Rafa Benitez, the Frenchman put his faith in the Costa Rican, even vetoing a move for Kepa Arrizabalaga in January of last year.
The French coach did not want another goalkeeper, but Florentino Perez did and Thibaut Courtois was brought in after he left last summer. Now, Zidane will have to decide whether to pick the Belgian or reinstate the popular Navas as first choice – even if that goes against his president’s wishes.
Find a balance between experience and youth
This is a different Real Madrid team to the one Zidane inherited in 2016. Most of the same players are still at the club, but they are three years older now and finding a balance between youth and experience will be key for Los Blancos.
Luka Modric will be 34 in September, while Sergio Ramos turns 33 at the end of this month and Karim Benzema is 32 later this year. Therefore, younger players will need to be brought in to complement the older ones and to eventually replace them.
During his final season, Zidane did not pick Dani Ceballos very often, but players like the young Spain midfielder will be key to overseeing a transition to a new generation of talents and also to allow the veterans some rest.
A centre-back and another midfielder are likely to be among the priorities this summer and identifying those footballers for the future will be essential in order to refresh and rejuvenate an ageing squad.
Two players who may be pleased to see Solari gone are Marcelo and Isco. Neither featured very much under the Argentine coach and their future at Real Madrid remains very much in doubt.
Under Zidane, both were important. Isco was initially out of favour when the Frenchman arrived, but went on to become a vital player and started in the Champions League finals against Juventus in Cardiff and Liverpool in Kiev.
Marcelo, meanwhile, was arguably the world’s best left-back during Zidane’s tenure and the Frenchman will hope he can rediscover those performances after his disastrous dip in form over the past months.
It may also be down to the returning coach to decide whether he wants James Rodriguez back at the club as the playmaker’s two-season loan at Bayern Munich ends in the summer.
Find a buyer for Bale
It is no secret that Gareth Bale and Zidane were not on great terms by the end of the Frenchman’s first spell at the club, the two men not even speaking after the Welshman’s double in the Champions League final win over Liverpool last May.
With Zidane returning to the club on Monday, Bale posted a tweet about golf in a piece of sponsored content which was ill-timed to say the least. The former Tottenham midfielder has been booed increasingly by fans at the Bernabeu recently and there is a sense now that his time is up.
Zidane had wanted to sell Bale last summer, but was told he would be staying as Cristiano Ronaldo was leaving. Having returned on his own terms, though, the Frenchman will be determined to get his way this time as he seeks to rebuild the club’s forward line for the seasons ahead.
Sign a Ronaldo replacement
Real Madrid had their problems last season too, but there is no doubt that a lack of goals has been an issue since the summer sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus.
Striker Mariano Diaz was brought in as a back-up option for Benzema, but has made minimal impact and a star signing is needed to replace the prolific Portuguese, who scored 450 goals in his nine seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu.
PSG pair Kylian Mbappe and Neymar will be top targets again, along with Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and perhaps even Tottenham’s Harry Kane. Securing one or two forwards of that calibre could be vital to hopes of challenging Barcelona at home and making Madrid a force again in the Champions League in the years to come.
