After a year and a half at the head of Real Madrid Castilla, and a year alongside Carlo Ancelotti, Florentino Perez decided to take a risk on Zinedine Zidane and it is an appointment that is paying dividends.
Winning two of a possible three titles thus far, Zidane only fell one point short in LaLiga last season, putting up an impressive comeback to take it to the final week of fixtures.
With 33 straight league matches without a loss, the Frenchman is unfazed at the pressure at a club as big as Los Blancos, already haveing dealt with that as a player.
He's achieved a lot, with his entire squad acting as his biggest ally:
11 months, 11 accomplishments
1. Regain the squad's trust in the coach
2. A happier Bernabeu after dominant wins over Deportivo, Sporting and Espanyol
3. Champions League debut victory over Roma
4. No dropped points in month of March
5. Comeback victory at the Camp Nou
6. Champions League comeback against Wolfsburg
7. Winning the Undecima
8. UEFA Super Cup win
9. Assault on the Estadio Vicente Calderon
10. Last-minute draw at the Camp Nou
11. Top of the league, 33-game unbeaten run, with lots of injuries
In fact, in his first month in charge, his side scored 17 goals and conceded just twice, a sign of what was to come.
The comeback against Wolfsburg reaffirmed his belief in the squad and in his own abilities, beginning to show that not only was it a good start, but that he was on to something.
The Champions League was always the goal set for the half season, and now LaLiga is the main priority.
Paul Pogba wasn't needed in the summer, and the UEFA Super Cup win was proof that the squad was good enough as is.
Last on the list to complete a perfect year is the FIFA Club World Cup, and the French boss hopes his squad has recovered enough by then to lift yet another title under his stewardship.
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