Zidane ends the season with the same figures as Lopetegui
Real Madrid closed a sorry end to the season with their second consecutive defeat. Zidane's figures in his second spell as coach are disappointing.
The past, L.P. Hartley noted, is a foreign country... those words may strike a chord with Zinedine Zidane's mind during his second spell as Real Madrid coach. His second stint in charge is almost a polar opposite to the first. This afternoon's defeat to Real Betis is significant for a number of reasons - apart from being unable to finish the season and go into the pre-season on a high note with a win, as all clubs like to do, and especially if the last game is at home.
Five home defeats
Today's 0-2 reverse was Madrid's 12th LaLiga defeat of the season and their fifth at the Bernabéu - Los Blancos haven't posted figures as bad as that since the 1995/6 season and they were only one defeat away from their worst season on record, in 1973/4. In all competitions it was their 18th defeat - eclipsing the 17 defeats the team suffered in 1998/9.
As for things never quite being the same second time around, Zidane's figures during his first 11 games in charge in his second spell as Real Madrid coach makes stark reading when compared to when he first took the post, replacing Rafa Benítez in January 2016. In fact his record is worse than Benítez's and the man who preceeded him, Santiago Solari. Since his return, Zidane's Madrid have won five, drawn two and lost four - exactly the same as Julen Lopetegui's first 11 games on the bench.
Real Madrid coaches and their records after first 11 games
Benítez W7 D4 L0
Zidane W8 D2 L1
Lopetegui W5 D2 L4
Solari W7 D1 L3
Zidane W5 D2 L4
Figures compiled from all competitions (LaLiga, Champions League, Copa del Rey and UEFA Super Cup).