When Florentino Perez decided that Zinedine Zidane will become Real Madrid's coach, in the middle of a crisis with Rafa Benitez, who didn't manage to finish the season, he seemed to have pulled a very good rabbit out of the hat.
Zidane had won everything as a player and was a legend, in an unquestionable sense. On the contrary, as a coach he hadn't had earned a single medal. His CV was short and contained nothing relevant; only his time as Carlo Ancelotti's assistant and Real Madrid Castilla coach.
Florentino, however, gave him the opportunity. My big doubt with him wasn't whether he would know how to act in Real Madrid's dressing room (which had already been his 'home'). My uncertainty was focused on how he would manage to do it every week in the press conference room.
A coach is becoming more and more, above all, a spokesperson. He isn't only responsible for the technical-tactical part, his players, his team's formation or their injuries; he is the authoritative voice of a club as well. And if you call yourself Zidane, even more.
It was a role that, even if we knew of Zinedine, he had never had the need to play it. Now he would have to be regularly appearing every week before the questions of the press. What a surprise it was for me I think for almost everyone, when he also became a great communicator! What I thought would be his Achilles heel was a strength.
Until that date we all thought he was somewhat introverted and not a very talkative person, but he sat in the press room, took on the role and addressed each and every issue as a veteran. Without dodging the thorny issues, with personality and without caring to get wet in all those issues that came out week by week. A brilliant communicator and a great coach for a Real Madrid that he later left overnight.
I give all this introduction to say that I like Luis Enrique as a coach. He is a man who has won almost everything as a player and everything as coach of Barcelona. He is a committed, hardworking guy with a clear football approach and leadership.
I have my reasonable doubts, however, about how his relationship with the media and the commercial, marketing and relations of the Federation will be. La Roja aren't a club and this good relationship and being a good spokesperson are mandatory for the national coach. It isn't a small attribute anymore. The coach should be cordial, serene, without tensions and very oriented to unity.
If Luis Enrique was able to polish this (something that he didn't do at Barcelona), I think we can have him as the coach for a while. It is not a matter of image or profile, it is that a national coach must be close and collaborative with his environment, and the media are a relevant part of it.
In short, let's wish good luck to the new coach who would be asked to reconstruct our model; the one that was started by the great Luis Aragones and that is impossible to imitate, copy or simulate. If the new one goes tries to imitate even half of what he did, it would be a failure.
I haven't seen anyone grab a player with more class Aragones and then remain their coach and friend. Someday I will tell you, dear reader, about some of the calls he received from players who were no longer under him and needed his advice before a big game. That is unrepeatable. It's neither about character his character, nor about respect; he was simply a giant, that unfortunately has already left us. Now Spain will play as something else and Luis Enrique knows it.