Casillas: Zidane is like Real Madrid great Del Bosque

Former Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas believes head coach Zinedine Zidane is comparable to former boss Vicente del Bosque.

Published : Apr 04, 2019 01:09 IST

Zinedine Zidane is like former Real Madrid head coach Vicente del Bosque in the way he avoids the spotlight, says goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

The former Spain international is well placed to compare the two, having played under both during his distinguished 16-year spell at Madrid.

Zidane has won two LaLiga games out of two since returning for his second spell in charge following the sacking of Santiago Solari, although the Frenchman needed a last-gasp goal from compatriot Karim Benzema to defeat bottom side Huesca 3-2 on Sunday.

 

Casillas was Madrid's keeper when Del Bosque, who also played for the club, twice led Los Blancos to glory in LaLiga and the Champions League between 1999 and 2003.

Zidane has proven similarly successful in Europe, winning the Champions Leagues three times in a row before surprisingly standing down last May, with Casillas drawing comparisons to Del Bosque's style of management.

"Making the jump from player to a manager isn't easy, it's not easy at all," said Casillas, who is an official LaLiga Icon.

"When you've been the best, one of the best of all time, something we've all seen out on the pitch, making that move seems like it should be easy, but we've seen so many cases in which it hasn't worked out that way.

"Zidane always seems to be in control of the situation. He's also a young coach who's in touch with his players, he's happy for them to be the stars.

"When I see him at press conferences he reminds me of Vicente del Bosque. Vicente was never the kind of coach who wanted the spotlight, he was happy leaving it to the players. 

"When he was our coach at Real Madrid … he was like that - and Zidane to me is very similar."

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