ZINEDINE Zidane has enjoyed the best start of any manager of a Spanish club after 32 La Liga games.
As well as obviously leading the club to the Champions League crown in May, he has amassed a staggering 83 points in league games — more than any of his Real Madrid predecessors.
Zidane’s tally is two better than Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, and superior to managers from the Los Blancos’ dominant 1950s teams if you change their points totals to account for three points for a win.
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Real Madrid’s 3-0 victory over Atletico made it 26 wins from the Frenchman’s first 32 league games in charge.
We take a look back at how ten significant Los Blancos bosses’ records compare to Zidane.
Jupp Heynckes, 1997-98: W 15 D 11 L 6 — 56 points
GERMAN boss started the season with a Spanish Super Cup victory, and ended it with a Champions League win.
However, it was his poor league form which meant he was still sacked after just one season.
Under Heynckes, Real Madrid finished fourth, behind Real Sociedad, Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona.
Vicente del Bosque, 1999-2003: W 16 D 10 L 6 — 58 points
HE’S not done badly since, has he?
Del Bosque won the World Cup and Euro 2012 with Spain — and even won two Champions League trophies in two years with Real Madrid.
But ‘just’ two league titles in four years meant he was shown the door by Florentino Perez.
Fabio Capello, 2006-07: W 18 D 6 L 8 — 60 points
REAL MADRID eventually recovered from an indifferent start in the Italian’s second spell to snatch the title from Barcelona on the final day of the season.
The Catalans were European champions and regarded as the best side on the planet, but ultimately fell short as Los Blancos roared to La Liga success.
However, it wasn’t enough to save Capello, and he was sacked after one season.
Carlos Queiroz, 2003-04: W20 D 7 L 5 — 67 points
SIR ALEX FERGUSON’S highly-rated former assistant at Manchester United endured a disastrous campaign in Spain.
Real Madrid would win match 33 of the campaign but lose all of their final FIVE matches and finish the season in fourth place.
A 4-1 home defeat to Real Sociedad in the final game was a fitting end for Queiroz.
Vanderlei Luxemburgo, 2004-05: W 22 D 3 L 7 — 69 points
FLAMBOYANT Brazilian enjoyed a superb start to life at Real Madrid and led them back into the title race.
Luxemburgo was hired after Mariano Garcia Remon’s sacking in Christmas 2004.
However, things turned ugly after a 3-0 home defeat to Barcelona, and he was dismissed a year later.
Bernd Schuster, 2007-08: W 22 D 3 L 7 — 69 points
GERMAN replaced Capello and retained the Spanish title.
Despite a last-16 exit in the Champions League, Schuster was kept on for a second season.
However, Perez’s re-election as president spelt the end and he left after Real Madrid finished nine points behind treble-winners, Barcelona.
Fabio Capello, 1996-97: W 21 D 10 L 1 — 73 points
LEGENDARY Italian enjoyed a better start in his first spell as boss.
But the ending was much the same.
Despite winning La Liga, he was sacked after falling out with fans following his “demotion” of favourite Raul to the left wing.
Carlo Ancelotti, 2013-15: W 24 D 4 L 4 — 76 points
WON the Champions League and the Copa del Rey, but finished third in the league.
And to top it all off, it was city-rivals Atletico Madrid who claimed the title.
Ancelotti stayed on for another season, but a trophyless campaign spelt the end for the popular Italian.
Other La Liga-winning bosses
Pep Guardiola 2008-12, Barcelona: W 26 D 3 L 3 — 81 points
Luis Enrique 2014-present, Barcelona: W 25 D 3 L 4 — 78 points
Diego Simeone 2011-present, Atletico: W 18 D 8 L 6 — 62 points
Frank Rijkaard 2003-08, Barcelona: W 17 D 9 L 6 — 60 points
Rafa Benitez 2001-04, Valencia: W 16 D 11 L 5 — 59 points
Jose Mourinho, 2010-13: W 24 D 5 L 3 — 77 points
THE SPECIAL ONE enjoyed a brilliant campaign with his stellar side.
However, the major blemish was a 5-0 defeat to Barcelona — and his side eventually conceded the title to the Catalans.
Mourinho and co recovered in their second season as they clinched the title with a staggering 100 points.
Manuel Pellegrini, 2009-10: W 26 D 2 L 4 — 80 points
CHILEAN’S sole season in charge will forever appear underwhelming because it ended trophyless.
But a closer look shows Real Madrid would have won La Liga in almost any other campaign, were they not up against such a strong outfit in Barcelona.
Zidane will need five wins from his next six matches to better Pellegrini’s total from his one term at the helm.
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