Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid, Toni Kroos
Rory O'Callaghan
Zinedine Zidane could finally make his long-awaited return to management and Toni Kroos has revealed the one message his consistently told his players ahead of every big match at Real Madrid.
Zidane, 52, has been without a role since leaving Madrid back in 2021.
It was his second spell in charge of the Spanish giants, the club where he spent the last five years of his legendary playing career.
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Zidane first took charge of Madrid in 2016 and won three consecutive Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018, also winning La Liga in the 2016/17 season.
He stepped down from the role five days are winning his third Champions League trophy, citing the club's 'need for change' at the top.
But he later returned as head coach in March 2019 following the sacking his former teammate Santiago Solari, with the France legend going on to win another league title the following season before stepping down in 2021 after a trophyless campaign.
Since then he has been linked with a number of top jobs including Manchester United and the French national side.
Earlier this month, Le Parisien and L'Equipe both reported that Zidane is favourite to replace France manager Didier Deschamps, who will step down after the 2026 World Cup.
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While his playing career ended with his infamous head loss in the 2006 World Cup final, where he was sent off for head-butting Marco Materazzi, Zidane has since developed a reputation as one of the calmest managers in world football.
"He's the coolest man alive," former Real Madrid and Liverpool winger Steve McManaman said back in 2016. "He is one of those type of players who exude calmness - you know everything is fine."
Former Real Madrid star Kroos, who played under Zidane at the Bernabeu, says Zidane constantly gave his players the same seven-word message ahead of games which reflects his calm approach to football.
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"Zidane told us: 'Stay calm and trust in your abilities'," Kroos told The Athletic.
"His great advantage is that he's experienced it all before as a player here.
"You believe in what he says. He has a hand for leading the group and there's this great aura of calmness around him. It rubs off on us. Not in the sense that he doesn't push us hard in training but he constantly conveys the huge confidence he has in us.
"If you work hard and do things properly, success will follow automatically because of your quality. He's been right so far."