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The strangest thing about Zinedine Zidane’s rise into the ranks of the finest coaches in the world should, really, be that nobody saw it coming, not even those at Real Madrid who had been observing him up close as he learned the craft.
After retirement, Zidane scratched around a little, looking for direction. He spent time as Real Madrid’s technical director. He served an apprenticeship under Carlo Ancelotti. Eventually, in 2014, he seemed to set his course: He was handed the reins at Castilla, Real’s second team.
Zidane’s 18 months there did little to create the impression that he would emerge as one of the best coaches of his generation.