The derby defeat to Atletico Madrid has left a bitter taste around the Santiago Bernabeu, but club directors are still confident the new coach can deliver success in Europe
"It is likely that signings will be needed in the summer, and changes may be made, even with the coach." The man behind those words was none other than Zinedine Zidane, speaking in a press conference minutes after falling to Atletico Madrid in a home derby.
It appears to be a call for revolution, or at the very least a thorough restructuring within the club. That conference was shortly followed by the fans' calls for "Florentino Out," as well as Cristiano Ronaldo's well-aimed barbs: at his team-mates, the medical department, and the club itself for their pre-season plans. It is Saturday afternoon and Real Madrid is an inferno, with no firefighters in sight.
Two days later, the aftermath of that conflagration continues to smoulder within Madrid. But Goal understands that the club's board of directors have ordered an evacuation plan following Saturday's disaster. The project is built around three pillars: Zidane, the Champions League and a return to "calm."
While the media and some Madrid fanatics call for heads to roll and an urgent transformation, those at the top of the club are gambling on Zizou's football knowledge and the hopes of another success in Europe's top competition. Those hopes are not unfounded. It would not be the first season in which a disappointing domestic campaign was offset by European glory.
The French coach, meanwhile, is a new face in the first team, and has inherited problems and failings that are not his doing. The directors see the legend as the cornerstone of a new long-term project, and not just a quick fix to be removed in due course.
With that in mind, the answers from the board remain consistent in the face of the numerous concerns held by fans. "What will happen with Zidane's future?" "Calm." "What about the supporters' complaints about the board?" "Calm." "What will happen in the team after Cristiano Ronaldo's outburst?" "Calm."
All must pull together during the storm, it is said. The Bernabeu is currently suffering inclement weather, but there is confidence that things will work themselves out and the sun will shine again. It could even occur as soon as this season.
Nobody is trying to deny that the Liga title is now practically impossible to obtain - even the coach himself - but the dream of an 11th Champions League or European Cup crown is still alive. There is a blind faith that the team will bounce back and improve on their current form.
That process, the directors trust, will start this Wednesday against Levante, and continue next week against Roma. Those two tests are the most immediate objectives for the board. But even so, they will try and keep calm.
- Goal