Defeat to PSG could spell end of Zizou era
MADRID: A knockout tie in the Champions League, in front of a packed house at the Santiago Bernabeu, pitting Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale against Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, is an occasion the football world is relishing.
But it is easy to see how Wednesday’s last-16 first leg between Real Madrid and Paris Saint-germain may fill coaching counterparts Zinedine Zidane and Unai Emery with a degree of dread, as both head into the Valentine’s Day clash knowing the tie could serve as their last act for the respective clubs on the European stage.
It was tough to envision Zidane being in such a position when Madrid cantered to a third Champions League triumph in four seasons, becoming the first team to successfully defend the title in its current guise, with a 4-1 win over Juventus in the final in Cardiff last June.
With that success following Madrid’s dethronement of Barcelona in Laliga, Zidane already a popular figure among Madridistas after his successful playing career - appeared to be the rarest of things at the Bernabeu, an untouchable coach.
His reputation was only furthered when Madrid brushed aside Barca over two legs in the Supercopa de Espana.
However, the prospect of Zidane being relieved of his duties has grown ever more likely in an extremely underwhelming 2017-18 campaign.
Madrid have stumbled badly in their defence of Laliga, not helped by the disappointing form of Ronaldo, and sit 17 points behind Barca, having also been knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Leganes.
ZIDANE’S LAST HOPE Success in Europe is Zidane’s last hope. Such disappointment has rarely been tolerated in Madrid, regardless of what has gone before. Carlo Ancelotti was dismissed just a year and a day after delivering La Decima and a third successive European triumph is perhaps Zidane’s only way to avoid the same fate, though a similarly desperate coach stands in his way.
PSG are poised to reclaim the Ligue 1 title in dominant fashion, have reached the Coupe de la Ligue final and the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France, though Emery can be considered fortunate to be in position to lead them to such glories.
It would have been fair to expect Emery to be axed after PSG’S meltdown in their 6-1 loss to Barca at the same stage of the Champions League last year but, despite a season in which they lost the domestic title to Monaco, the Spaniard was backed in incredible fashion in the transfer market as Neymar was lured from Camp Nou in a world-record €222million move and Mbappe arrived from Monaco in a loan switch set to become permanent at the end of the season.
They have formed a fearsome attacking trio with Edinson Cavani that has run roughshod at home. Those signings were made strictly with Champions League in mind and it’s payback time.