7 Truths: Ego-master Zinedine Zidane, Harry Kane already a Tottenham great
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ByEurosport
Updated 22/05/2017 at 07:18 GMT
Our writers review a frantic day of action on Sunday when Real Madrid kept alive their hopes of a historic Liga and Champions League double.
Zinédine Zidane - Málaga-Real Madrid - Liga 2016/2017 - Getty Images
Image credit: Getty Images
1. Real Madrid's superstars enjoy playing for Zidane, a master of ego management
Zinedine Zidane becomes the first French coach in 47 years to win a Liga title after the 2-0 win at Malaga. Much has been made of Zidane's ability to rotate his squad, but leading Madrid to a 33rd Spanish title was not only about his talent in picking a team and getting his tactics right. Far from it.
Zidane rotated his squad well, and also kept all the big egos in the Madrid team happy. Cristano Ronaldo has scored 40 goals this season, and is back to his best. Sergio Ramos is captain inspirational. From the mess of Rafael Benitez's tenure, Zidane has won four trophies in only 18 months as manager including La Liga, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Still, however, Zidane doesn’t receive the credit he deserves. He has taken a club widely renowned as the hottest hot mess in football and turned them into a highly efficient, finely tuned winning machine.
If Madrid beat Juventus in the Champions League final on June 3, they will win back-to-back Champions League and become the first Madrid side to win the double since the 1950s. Zidane knows how to produce a winning team, but as a former Madrid icon he understands what makes egos tick. It has been a key component of Madrid's success.
Zizou is already the most successful Real Madrid manager since Vicente Del Bosque, with the chance of back-to-back Champions Leagues in successive seasons still up for grabs in the coming weeks. Whether or not he is recognised as the coaching great he is, Zidane is building a dynasty at the Santiago Bernabeu.
2. Barcelona face impossible task to replace Iniesta
Andres Iniesta is not only one of the best players of his generation, but one of the best players of all time. A brilliant mover with an incisive mind, he also has a keen sense of the big occasion, scoring a succession of crucial goals. Barcelona's 4-2 win over Eibar cannot disguise the feeling that key changes are needed at the Camp Nou and although Iniesta remains a brilliant player for Barca, for how long can he keep doing it?
After so long at the very top it appears as if the decline may be starting. He remains a fine player, and while still very good, he is not quite good enough often enough to be first choice in a team seeking to be Europe’s best. So, Barcelona need to replace him, but how on earth do they do that? It’s impossible. Expect to see more of Iniesta next season because there is nobody who can touch him. His class is both a blessing and a curse for Barcelona.
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Andres Iniesta in action against Eibar.
Image credit: Eurosport
3. Arsene Wenger's season gets worse still
They failed to qualify for the Champions League, but that was expected going into the final game and the 3-1 win over Everton. What will hurt is that Laurent Koscielny received a red card early on for a witless challenge, Gabriel left with what looked a severe knee injury and Alexis Sanchez was subbed after a problem with his hamstring.
Arsenal might not be able to properly challenge Chelsea in the FA Cup final, having failed to do so in the Premier League, but they could rescue their season with a win over Chelsea. However that would only paper over the cracks that demonstrate that this season has been pretty forgettable when you think of Arsenal in terms of challenging for the title.
Perhaps a stint in the Europa League will do them a favour, but this season has been another example of Arsenal again coming up short under Arsene Wenger.
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Arsene Wenger of Arsenal looks on as his players acknowledge the fans after the Premier League match between Arsenal and Everton at Emirates Stadium on May 21, 2017 in London, England.
Image credit: Getty Images
4. New Chelsea era emerges as the last of the old guard says goodbye
In among all the furore (and at times downright ridiculousness) of John Terry's Chelsea goodbye it might have been missed that an era has come to an end.
Terry has now followed Petr Cech, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba in departing Stamford Bridge.
A quintet that together dominated English football, and at times had to manage the club. The debate can, rightly, rage over whether they had too much power, and they probably did, but the way they kept the club winning despite the number of times the manager changed was remarkable.
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John Terry speaks to the fans.
Image credit: Eurosport
Terry was not present on the field for the culmination of their time together, that famous night in Munich when they won the Champions League five years ago, but he had a huge role in the journey and it was he who outlasted the others.
Now even 'Mr Chelsea' has had his time called. Now it is up to the likes of Cesar Azpilicueta, Gary Cahill, N'Golo Kante, Cesc Fabregas and Eden Hazard to build their own legacy.
5. Liverpool's Wijnaldum was made for Champions League
Georginio Wijnaldum is the man for the big occasion. He got the all-important breakthrough that quelled the growing concern inside Anfield when their side was being held 0-0 by Middlesbrough with fourth place on the line.
The Dutchman loves scoring on home turf with all six league goals plundered against the likes of Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal. Indeed all 17 Premier League goals the midfielder has scored have come at home, be that Anfield or St James' Park.
This one was just as crucial and, with a developing penchant for the big stage, don't rule out further strikes when his side rub shoulders with Europe's elite in the Champions League next season.
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Georginio Wijnaldum.
Image credit: Eurosport
6. Harry Kane is a Tottenham great who will only get greater
He’s a one-season wonder; he only scores tap-ins; he only scores penalties. All the many doubters will now surely have to admit that Harry Kane is the real deal. Tottenham’s star striker wrapped up his consecutive Premier League golden boot award with a hat-trick against Hull – making it seven goals in four days.
And his tally of 29 for the season is even more impressive when you consider that he missed close to three months of the season through injury. Kane is a phenomenon. His record stacks up against the very best strikers in the world. And he’s still just 23.
Tottenham are lucky to have him, and with Kane leading the line they can go on to achieve massive things.
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Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur waits for interviews outside the dressing rooms after the Premier League match between Hull City and Tottenham Hotspur at KC Stadium on May 21, 2017 in Hull, England.
Image credit: Eurosport
7. Celtic’s ‘Invincibles’ are a fine side
Anybody who tries to detract from Celtic’s feat in remaining unbeaten for a league season in Scotland really does not know their football. To finish a season unbeaten in any league is astonishing and Celtic should be saluted for their efforts in winning 34 out of 38 league matches, drawing only four.
They are 46 matches unbeaten in wrapping up a sixth straight league title and the Scottish League Cup.
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Celtic lift another title.
Image credit: Eurosport
Brendan Rodgers has performed a minor miracle with this Celtic side in only a year at the club, and they can round off a special season by lifting the Scottish Cup against Aberdeen on Saturday, an outcome that would see Rodgers emulate Jock Stein and Martin O’Neill as the only managers to achieve the treble for Celtic.
The real challenge is to see if Celtic can make an impact in the Champions League despite being hindered by a lack of TV money, but there is a growing optimism that Rodgers is the right man to get the best out of a young side who are most certainly on the rise.
Daniel Harris, Graham Ruthven, Alex Netherton, Tom Bennett, Pete Sharland and Paul Hassall
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