Zidane's move into the dugout isn't just down to circumstances. It's something the former French international has been contemplating and preparing for quite some time. And, as we announced at MARCA on 22nd June, the final backing for this move came with the signing of Carlo Ancelotti.

But he isn't embarking on this new journey from scratch. Zidane has continually been in some form of training ever since he hung up his boots, and the various courses he's taken have included completing his coaching badges. During recent months Zidane has been visiting Paris where he's followed the French system for training coaches. And it was the ideal preparation for this moment that the former Real Madrid player has spent so long dreaming about.

The course came to a conclusion this Monday. Early in the morning he sat his exam for a qualification that means he'll be able to sit in any dugout around the world.

Now he just needs to put it all into practice. Zidane embodies everything that you could hope for in an assistant manager. Not only is he a former player, and one of the best the world has ever seen to boot, but now he also has all the knowledge you acquire from a professional coaching course. Real Madrid will undoubtedly have an outstanding technical team with Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane at the helm.