Zinedine Zidane said yesterday that his players will not be given any holiday after La Liga ends this weekend as Real Madrid turn their attention to their crunch Champions League tie with Manchester City. Madrid have won La Liga with a game to spare and could rest players for today’s final game away to relegation battlers Leganes. 
But Zidane insists there will be no let-up from tomorrow as Madrid attempt to overturn a 2-1 home defeat to City in the second leg of the last 16 encounter. “They are not going to have two weeks off,” said Zidane in a press conference. “We have a game tomorrow and then we are not on vacation. Let’s get some rest, but then our minds will be on City. The season is not over. We’re going to have a few days off but everyone will be focused on what is a crucial match.”
Madrid sit seven points clear of Barcelona at the top of La Liga after securing only their third league title in 12 years. Their success comes after a 10-match winning run since the restart, with the team finding their best form after the three-month suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic. 
“The title should never be under-estimated, especially this one. It has been difficult and we have fought to the end,” Zidane said.
Madrid’s line-up and focus could be crucial to La Liga’s survival race given Leganes are fighting Celta Vigo to avoid the drop. Leganes are a point behind Celta, who play away at bottom club Espanyol.
“We can’t play it differently,” said Zidane. “One match is left, we must respect that. It is the last game and we have to respect everyone else. We will play it to try to do well.”


Zidane silences doubters by bringing Real back to life
Few expected Zidane to leave Real Madrid and even fewer expected him to come back as coach. And yet almost 500 days later, he has won the La Liga title, without fuss, without even the improvements he was promised.
Zidane currently wins a trophy every 19 games on average and while three Champions League titles out of three was historic, this might be his most impressive yet. When he was reappointed in March last year, Madrid president Florentino Perez said Zidane had come again to launch “a glorious new era”.
But standing next to him was Madrid’s third coach of the season, taking over a team 12 points behind Barcelona, having just been knocked out and outplayed by Ajax in the Champions League. Most thought it was a mistake, the coach that had gone out on the highest of highs returning to a team in tatters.
Cristiano Ronaldo was gone and it seemed those that remained had lost the hunger. “We will change things, for sure, and for the years to come,” Zidane said. Change, though, would have to wait and then it never really came at all.
Zidane saw out a miserable 11 games of last season where performances grew worse not better. Anticipation of a summer overhaul increased as Madrid’s newspapers published polls revelling in which of the world’s best players should arrive. Kylian Mbappe or Neymar? “I would like them both,” said Perez.
Zidane did not want them all but there was one he desperately wanted, Manchester United’s Paul Pogba, who he was convinced could change everything. Yet Pogba stayed put and so too did Gareth Bale, who Zidane was assured would be sold. “It would be best for everyone,” he said.
Hazard did sign, for 100mn euros, but arrived overweight and then got injured, the opening sequence of his nightmare first year in Spain. Instead of a sparkling new era, Zidane was handed more of the same but when the inevitable questions came about broken promises, he refused to stoke the fire.
“The decisions that are up to me are on the pitch,” he said. The trouble was those were no better. Draws against Valladolid and Villarreal were followed by humiliation in Paris. Defeat by Real Mallorca in October left Zidane on the brink of the sack.
“I know how this works,” said Zidane, with Jose Mourinho ready, but perhaps that jolted the players, who beat Galatasaray 1-0 and began to turn the tide. Zidane escaped and grew bolder. Fede Valverde came into his midfield and proved the catalyst for change, the Uruguayan bringing dynamism and chaos to an all-too predictable midfield.
The defence tightened too, conceding nine goals during a crucial run of 21 games unbeaten either side of Christmas. Ferland Mendy proved a more reliable alternative to Marcelo at left-back while in goal, Thibaut Courtois blossomed. In attack, he trusted two young Brazilians, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, and between them, Karim Benzema found arguably the best form of his entire career.
And when the coronavirus pandemic hit, Madrid’s players reacted better, coming back revitalised, more determined than ever that an 11-match sprint would end with a trophy.
But just as this Madrid were a mess without him, with him they are celebrating again. 
Few expected him there but Zidane was right in his first press conference. “Change is for the future,” he said. “The important thing is I’m back.”