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Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (r.) After an own goal against Donetsk in the Champions League
Photo:
JUAN MEDINA / REUTERS
As is his custom, Florentino Pérez also went into the dressing room after the Champions League opener against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Alone, there should not have been the usual small talk.
No analyzes, no explanations, no encouragement.
It should not have been spoken at all.
Starting with the president, Real Madrid were in shock after the 2: 3 (0: 3).
The court newspaper "Marca" already wrote of a "scandal" on its website, and the first half wasn't even over.
What was meant, however, was not rude fouls by the opponent or controversial referee decisions, but their own team.
Real delivered a performance especially in the first 45 minutes (score: 0: 3) which, according to "As", went straight to "the horror cabinet of 118 years of club history".
Aggravating circumstances of evidence for the chroniclers: On the one hand, Schakhtar had to complain about eight corona failures, some with teenagers and almost without a substitute bench.
On the other hand, Madrid was warned of itself.
Already on Saturday they delivered a performance in the 0-1 draw against newly promoted Cádiz at the same place in the domestic second stadium for which, as coach Zinédine Zidane said, "there was no excuse".
Everything was missing: movement, intensity, coordination
Now the (TV) viewers learned: It is even worse.
Schakhtar caught up the goals that Cadiz had left behind and missed three more chances alone ahead of Thibaut Courtois.
Real lacked everything, especially in the first half: movement, intensity, coordination.
"We weren't up to this competition," said Luka Modric.
With his artificial shot and a surprise action by substitute Vinícius, he scored quick follow-up goals in the second half, but there were practically no other chances.
Shakhtar was able to organize himself again and again.
The ball is running far too slowly at Real Madrid at the moment.
But: The slow pace of the game compared to the European top is no longer news.
Real fell out of the extra class.
The lesson that Zidane taught the team after 17 and 19 points behind in the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons was: We are no longer so special to be able to afford less intensity than the others.
On the basis of the best defensive in Europe, Real tackled the Spanish championship after the Corona break.
But the message seems to have been lost.
The suffering of world champion Raphaël Varane, who seamlessly continued his mistakes in the last knockout round in Manchester with an own goal, illustrates a drop in tension that was increased against Donetsk by the failure of the injured driver Sergio Ramos.
"The team didn't play the way I wanted and if that happens, you (the coach) are to blame," said Zidane after the game.
More than anything else, there is a lack of self-confidence: "I see myself in a position to take care of that."
Zidane enacted positive thinking.
"Today everything is gray, tomorrow the sun will rise again."
Bad personnel policy
On the one hand, the trainer has to manage structural deficiencies.
Real's squad is fatally unbalanced.
Most of the top performers are over 30, most of the followers only in their early 20s. A shopping offensive of over 300 million euros in the preseason fizzled out, center forward Luka Jovic (60 million) also worked against Donetsk as if he would rather be anywhere else in the world .
And Zidane's request transfer Eden Hazard (100 million euros plus bonuses) is so permanently injured that nobody knows what he actually has.
This summer, Real did not invest a cent in players because the corona crisis was accompanied by the cost of converting the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu.
Originally it was supposed to take place while the game was running.
But because currently no fans are allowed anyway, you play in the second arena.
So it goes faster.
The new Bernabéu should be ready by 2022, and if the world is back to normal by then, Real will be able to increase its audience income.
Then - at least - Kylian Mbappé should also be on board, whose contract in Paris expires in 2022.
Pérez is betting everything on the medium-term future.
Perhaps, as some insiders say, because they would rather not spend any more money on Zidane.
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Head drooping coach: Zinédine Zidane after the 2: 3 against Donetsk
Photo: Indira / imago images / ZUMA Wire
The master coach is considered picky in the club, to put it mildly.
The fact that of all the 2019 purchases, which Zidane helped to determine to a large extent, only full-back Ferland Mendy has a regular place, may have been unfortunate.
That he never got on the same wavelength as the quirky Gareth Bale is understandable.
But the rift with James Rodríguez is less understood.
Bale and James once cost 180 million euros together, now the club had to give them away to England.
He even pays half his salary for Bale.
And why Zidane also pushed promising young international players like Dani Ceballos and Sergio Reguilón into the Premier League, finally appears mysterious.
Zidane's loyalty to the veterans and carelessness
Zidane is irritating with his loyalty to professionals like left-back Marcelo, whom he practically memorialized on Wednesday: "I'm sorry for the players, they don't deserve it, they have won many titles for me," said Zidane.
Also with his seemingly indiscriminate rotation of talents like Rodrygo or Jovic, who sometimes don't appear for weeks and then suddenly like against Donetsk in important games from the start.
There is also a certain carelessness.
Despite the tricky starting position with the oath of disclosure against Cadiz, a demanding Champions League group (Inter, Mönchengladbach) and the failure of Ramos, he initially spared his only sharp attack weapons against Donetsk, Karim Benzema and Vinícius.
It was precisely these two who had to be rested, they hadn't played in the most recent international match window.
Now the Clásico at FC Barcelona is on Saturday (4.15 p.m. / Stream: DAZN).
Zidane is not Julen Lopetegui, who two years ago garnished a similar crisis situation with a 1: 5 at arch rivals and was fired on edge.
Zidane is a club member, coach of three Champions League victories.
But in the current situation even he is counted.
Club connoisseurs no longer put their hands on the fire for him.
"Marca" sees a "dynamic" at work "which Zidane will take with him in the end".
From Barcelona it goes on Tuesday to Mönchengladbach in the Champions League.
In the past two years, Real have lost almost as many games in the premier class (seven) as they won (eight).
Where else the love affair with the European Cup is evoked, the expectations are now at zero.
"Off to the Europa League", headlines an "As" columnist sarcastically.
And by the way: The day after Donetsk, the sun couldn't be seen in Madrid.
It rained.
Icon: The mirror
