The Right Time to Call It Quits

After winning 3 straight Champions Leagues with a Liga title in between and several smaller trophies, Zizou called it quits. Several weeks later, Cristiano signs for Juventus and he’s gone. How can Real Madrid lose 2 club legends so quickly? When Zidane took over for the poorly chosen Rafa Benitez and went on to win the Champions League many attributed it to Zizou’s flower. “Flor” (flower) in Spanish means “luck” in this case. Up until that time Zidane had only trained Real Madrid Castilla with very modest results. Florentino Perez took a huge risk when he named Zinedine the first team manager. It could have cost him his presidency. But things worked out and many considered Zidane extremely lucky that year. But the next year Zidane won again, not just Champions League but also the La Liga title. The flower myth was broken and people began to attribute Zidane’s success to his ability to not only manage a dressing room full of stars but to obtain their respect; A task made simpler when one is considered a legendary player in his own right. This last season has been extremely difficult for Zidane with Real Madrid dropping out of Liga title contention early as well as an early Copa Del Rey exit, with a good amount of blame falling on Zidane’s shoulders for fielding the B-team in both legs of the tie. The only chance to save the season was to win a third straight Champions League title. Amazingly, it happened. Zidane knew he would have been given the boot had they not again lifted the title. He knew that a good amount of luck went Real Madrid’s way in the last couple of rounds. He knew that his “flower” was still alive, at least for this one last time. Departing now was a smart move for Zizou. Odds are not in his favour of continued success at Real Madrid and he knew it. Anyone could place their bet at top online casinos against a fourth straight Champions League title. He decided to quit while he was ahead. He decided to leave while on top. We were blessed to have Zidane back for several years and he will be probably be remembered more for the ‘triplete’ as a coach than the title’s won as a player at Madrid. You could argue that Cristiano made the decision to move on for the same reasons. Cristiano’s time at Real Madrid will be remembered for his goals, his individual honors and, most of all, for the Champions League titles he won for Real Madrid. Cristiano was the top scorer in the Champions League the past 6 years and it was his greatest contribution at Real Madrid. The 4 Champions League titles in 5 years rivals the 5 straight European Cups won by Alfredo Di Stefano, Puskas and company. Frustrations about salary and all of Cristiano’s peculiarities aside, he knew it would be tough to top this success at Real Madrid. He knew it was time to move on. If you are over 18 and like betting on all the football legends try auonlinecasino for more information on responsible gambling. Like Di Stefano, Cristiano and Zidane are now part of Real Madrid history. New stars will be born. New players will shine. Life and football will move on. Hala Madrid.