Zinedine Zidane has returned to Real Madrid less than a year after resigning in the wake of a third straight Champions League triumph.
With their defence of Europe s premier club trophy having ended in a stunning last-16 elimination at the hands of Ajax, Madrid sacked their manager for the second time this season – a 4-1 win at Real Valladolid on Sunday suggesting the decision to dispense with Santiago Solari had already been made.
Los Blancos are simply playing for a top-four finish in LaLiga this season and a dismal campaign has led to uncertainty over the futures of a number of their big guns.
We look at how Zidane s return may impact Gareth Bale, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo and Isco.
Bale no longer backed?
The duo shared a fraught relationship during Zidane s trophy-laden first spell at Madrid and reports even suggested the Frenchman s surprise resignation last May was due to president Florentino Perez backtracking on a commitment to sell Bale following his tremendous overhead-kick goal as Los Blancos beat Liverpool to claim a third straight Champions League title.
Having played a pivotal role in the triumph in Kiev, Bale, who was unhappy about starting the game as a substitute, suggested a move away was on the cards in the immediate aftermath.
Bale
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague)
Obviously I feel that I need to be playing every week, he said. It s something I feel like I should be doing and if it s not the case here it s something that I ll have to reconsider.
However, Bale s failure to replace Cristiano Ronaldo as the leading man in Madrid combined with the return of Zidane suggests the club may have had another change of heart.
With Vinicius Junior proving he is capable of making an impact in the first team while the Welshman spent the start of 2019 on the sidelines with another calf injury, his time may now be up.
Still room for Ramos?
Before the appointment of Zidane, Jose Mourinho was being tipped as the leading candidate for a Santiago Bernabeu return.
As those rumours swirled, so did suggestions Ramos would push for a move away from Madrid if the Portuguese took charge for a second time.
Their issues stem from Mourinho s outspoken criticism of the players in the wake of a 1-0 loss to Sevilla in September 2012, something Ramos took issue with and found himself dropped for the Champions League visit of Manchester City three days later. Their relationship never recovered.
An eagle-eyed photographer spotted Ramos wearing Mesut Ozil s shirt under his own during a match against Deportivo La Coruna the following month, the German having been a persistent target of Mourinho s ire, highlighting the divisions between the pair.
He will no doubt be relieved to have Zidane back at the helm, with his future now likely to remain in Madrid.
