Not being rich means that you cannot succeed, at least not in the Champions League
Real Madrid’s performance in their Champions League semi-final firstleg win over Atletico was probably their best under Zinedine Zidane. It wasn’t just that they won 3-0; it was that, after a slightly chaotic opening in which Atletico were far more open than usual, they controlled the game, rarely looking like conceding – which, given they had kept only one clean sheet in their previous 16 games, was somewhat unexpected.
That was Zidane’s 81st game in charge of Real. They had scored in all of them and lost only six times. And yet, on the brink of a Champions League Final and level on points at the top of La Liga with a game in hand, Zidane’s future was reportedly in doubt.
In any other era, that would seem ridiculous, yet many of the questions about Zidane are legitimate. In nine of the 16 games leading up to the Champions League semi-final, Madrid fell behind. That they lost only twice – three times if you count the Champions League quarter-final with Bayern Munich when they were 2-1 down after 90 minutes but won 4-2 in extra-time – says much for their character and self-belief, as well as their talent, but it also suggests they cannot control games.
When Manchester United won the treble in 1998-99, they made the comeback a trademark, but even Alex Ferguson was eventually forced to admit that the gung-ho attacking of that most remarkable of seasons was not sustainable in the long term.
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Going for Gold in Paris- There are plenty of candidates vying for the Olympic gold medal in the women's football tournament this summer
There are plenty of candidates vying for the Olympic gold medal in the women's football tournament this summer
Face to face - Tom Sainfiet- The final goal is to reach the World Cup and write history - The Belgian coach speaks to World Soccer
The well-travelled Belgian coach speaks to World Soccer after taking charge of the Philippines-his 11th international coaching role
Inter cruise to title number 20
Simone Inzaghi's Internazionale shrug off all challengers before sealing the Serie A title in style against their biggest rivals
HAT-TRICK HERO
Ademola Lookman wrote his name into European football's history books with a hat-trick in the Europa League final
GOING UP
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Palau soldier on alone
The isolated Pacific nation faces a long and lonely battle to improve football on the island
Brazilian clubs eye Copa number six
As the Copa Libertadores group stage concludes, a sixth consecutive Brazilian winner is looking likely
AI Hilal sweep to another Saudi crown
The first edition of the Saudi Pro League's glamorous new era ends with a familiar title winner
Disasters brewing
There is still a long way to go in World Cup qualifying, but dysfunction reigns at Cameroon, Congo and Nigeria after four matchdays in the group stage
Second round of World Cup qualifying underway
Favourites perform largely as expected, yet Cayman Islands dominate the headlines