Real Madrid : Zidane’s advice that could rescue Arbeloa

Alvaro Arbeloa’s appointment to succeed Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid has inevitably drawn comparisons with January 2016, when Zinedine Zidane took over from Rafael Benitez.

At the perfect moment, a recently published YouTube interview featuring Zidane sheds light on the principles that allowed him to immediately take control of the dressing room and build a historic dynasty. For the Frenchman, everything started with a simple but essential idea: the coach must be at the players’ service. If the players do not feel supported, respected, and fully involved in the project, success becomes impossible, no matter the tactical ideas.

Zidane explained how he relied on work, enjoyment, and trust to unite the squad, starting by bringing the team leaders on board before imposing demanding but ball-focused training sessions. The parallels with today’s Real Madrid are striking: physical shortcomings, a fragile dressing room, and visible tension on the pitch.

Florentino Pérez’s choice of Arbeloa follows the same logic as Zidane’s promotion nine years ago—placing a coach closer to the players at the heart of the project. Whether Arbeloa can apply these lessons and recreate the same unity remains to be seen, but Zidane’s blueprint offers a clear path that could yet save his tenure.