Zinedine Zidane is a legend on and off the pitch for Real Madrid and his tactics from his first El Clasico win over Barcelona in the dugout have been leaked online.
The former French international is one of the greatest players of the modern era and indeed of all time after a glittering club and international career.
Having come through the youth team ranks at Cannes and then moving to Bordeaux, Zidane moved to Serie A side Juventus where he won two Italian league titles.
A move to Real followed in 2001 for a then world record transfer fee of around £46m.
Zidane was part of a Galacticos squad at Real which also included Roberto Carlos, David Beckham, Ronaldo and Luis Figo.
He won both La Liga and the Champions League title as a player, while he also tasted success with France, winning the World Cup on home soil in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000.
Zidane has had two spells in charge of Real which yielded two La Liga crowns and also three Champions League titles.
Zidane’s first period in the Santiago Bernabeu dugout came when he replaced the sack Rafael Benitez at the start of 2016, a campaign which ended with winning the Champions League over city rivals Atletico Madrid.
Zidane’s first El Clasico against Barcelona as Real boss ended in victory as the 10 men came from behind to win 2-1 at the Camp Nou.
Gerard Pique put Barca ahead but Karim Benzema equalised, before Sergio was sent off and Cristiano Ronaldo netted what proved to be a late winner in El Clasico against a home side boasting the attacking trio of Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi.
Now, Zidane’s tactics for that encounter have leaked online including the instructions he gave his team for dealing with Messi, which was made clear it was every player’s responsibility to mark the Argentine, as well as instructions for the likes of Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.
According to a translated post on Reddit, it reads: “At the beginning of Barcelona’s build-up, we have to put pressure on them in a 4-on-3 manner.
“Ronaldo: You have to prevent passing between the goalkeeper and the centre-back. Benzema with Busquets. Bale is the second centre-back.
“This is how we force Busquets to move back so that Barcelona can start playing, and they lose numerical density in the middle.
“Kroos and Modric have to prevent the ball from reaching Iniesta and Rakitic.
“Iniesta will try to infiltrate deep here. Do not leave your place, Kroos. It is a trick to empty this side, as Suarez enters deep or Messi descends to manage the game. That is why Casemiro took over, and you, Iniesta, at that time.
“If Raki or Iniesta receives the ball, we have to press them with everything we have until they are forced to return to Busquets!
“Our goal is to close the deep passing angle in front of Busquets, just open the wings for him. Let him play on the wing.
“This is how we force Suarez to remain on the wing to open the field to his teammates. There, Suarez is not dangerous.
“Monitoring Messi is everyone’s responsibility, determined by Leo’s position on the field.”
