Same Real brilliance demanded from Madrid fans and boss Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane has lifted Real Madrid to such heights in less than two years in charge as coach that the challenge now facing the Frenchman is simply maintaining the status quo

Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane has lifted Real Madrid to such heights in less than two years in charge as coach that the challenge now facing the Frenchman is simply maintaining the status quo.

Real kick off their La Liga defence away at Deportivo la Coruna today as European and world champions and having added the UEFA and Spanish Super Cups to their trophy haul in the past fortnight. However, it was wresting the Spanish title back off Barcelona for the first time in five years last season that Zidane, a World Cup winner in his days as a player, described as the biggest achievement in his professional career.

"Professionally by a long way, the greatest emotion I have felt was winning La Liga. When you win it on the last day of the season as we did, having that consistency all year, for me it is fantastic," Zidane said on Saturday.

Zidane's men are now expected to ease to back-to-back titles for the first time in a decade with the gap between Spanish football's two giants seemingly growing over the off-season. Barca lost Brazilian star Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain and have so far failed to find a replacement.

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