With his mind focused on Saturday's match against Talavera but aware that a surprise from Rayo Vallecano would force a leap for which he already feels prepared.
Zidane is a beloved and respected figure in the Real Madrid dressing room. He has the affection of President Florentino Pérez and the admiration of a board of directors that signed him at the peak of his playing career and has facilitated his growth as a coach.
He was not allowed to start his coaching career outside of the club, in France, despite the offers he received. When he felt ready to become a head coach, he was given the Castilla team with a high level of empathy. Last season, the promotion objective was not achieved, but nobody in the club doubted his continuity.
His time as Carlo Ancelotti's assistant during the year of the Decima conquest showed progress as a coach who was always close to the players. His presence in training sessions, even participating in some small games, was common. As well as his one-on-one chats with each player. Being the ultimate connoisseur of the player's code, his presence increased the existing complicity of the group with the head coach, something that currently does not exist with Rafa Benitez and his coaching staff.
Zizou, who is often associated with shyness in managing groups as the main point to improve as a coach, is focused on Castilla, with whom he has set the goal of returning them to the Spanish second division. After his first failed attempt, he is on track in the current season, second in his group behind the leader, Barakaldo, with just three points behind after earning 35 points in 17 matches played.
According to sources close to Zidane, his desire in the event that he is chosen as the next Real Madrid coach is to take over the team at the end of the season and not become an emergency solution. But if the board no longer sees Benitez's situation as sustainable and an offer comes to him, he would not reject one of his dreams as a coach.
He only focuses on Castilla in his speeches, but he is well aware of the first team and everything that happens in a dressing room where he has coexisted with much of the squad. Keylor Navas, Kiko Casilla, Danilo, Toni Kroos, and James Rodríguez are the only ones Zizou has not had contact with. He knows Dani Carvajal, Nacho Fernández, Casemiro, or Lucas Vázquez from the youth academy. And with the heavyweight players, he has the utmost respect and a great deal of complicity.
The success of his compatriots Karim Benzema and Raphael Varane at Real Madrid has a lot to do with him. They are two players with a bright present and a hopeful future for Real Madrid who have the 'Zidane seal of approval'. Their time is approaching, while Zidane remains true to his style, with respect and prudence as his guiding principles, and focuses on one thing only: the match against Talavera de la Reina.