{"id":27539,"date":"2020-07-17T18:45:03","date_gmt":"2020-07-17T13:15:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kyrosports.com\/?p=27539"},"modified":"2020-07-17T18:45:03","modified_gmt":"2020-07-17T13:15:03","slug":"real-madrids-34th-la-liga-triumph","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kyrosports.com\/real-madrids-34th-la-liga-triumph\/","title":{"rendered":"Real Madrid&#8217;s 34th La Liga triumph \u2014 A lesson in patience and perseverance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>On the 96th minute, the on-field official, Hernandez Hernandez, blew his whistle for the last time. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>The eerily vacant Alfredo di Stefano stadium echoed the hurrahs of Zinedine Zidane\u2019s men, of Real Madrid \u2014 the newly-crowned champions of <a href=\"https:\/\/kyrosports.com\/tag\/la-liga\/\" class=\"rank-math-link\">La Liga<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<p>In the final weeks of the disastrous 2018-19 campaign, no one, not even the most ardent <a href=\"https:\/\/kyrosports.com\/tag\/real-madrid\/\" class=\"rank-math-link\">Real Madrid<\/a> supporters would have predicted this outcome. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>No one would\u2019ve imagined that Los Blancos would lift their 34th La Liga title on the death anniversary of the great Miguel Munoz \u2014 the greatest manager in the history of the club.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83d\udc40\ud83c\udfc6\ud83c\udf7e Wait for it&#8230; \ud83d\ude02<br>\ud83d\ude4c <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/34Ligas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#34Ligas<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/RealFootball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#RealFootball<\/a> \ud83d\ude4c <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/zzmyQ7OXld\" target=\"_blank\">pic.twitter.com\/zzmyQ7OXld<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Real Madrid C.F. \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@realmadriden) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realmadriden\/status\/1284050211015241731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">July 17, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zinedine_Zidane\" class=\"rank-math-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Zinedine Zidane<\/a>, who terminated his sabbatical and rushed back to save his beloved Madrid, knew how difficult it was going to be. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>Yet, he never trembled, never took a step back. He just asked his players to give their all until the fat lady sang, and took it upon himself to go up against the defending champions, <a href=\"https:\/\/kyrosports.com\/tag\/barcelona\/\" class=\"rank-math-link\">Barcelona<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>His last La Liga triumph \u2014 in 2016-17 \u2014 was built on explosive performances. With <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cristiano_Ronaldo\" class=\"rank-math-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cristiano Ronaldo<\/a> at his disposal, the Frenchman didn\u2019t need to reinvent the wheel. He only needed to trust the abundance of attacking talents at his disposal and rotate the players, as needed. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>This season, he didn\u2019t have the luxury of falling back upon the services of a goal machine. He needed to find a way to make the most out of the players he had.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">3\u03363\u0336<br>\ud83c\udfc6 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/34Ligas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#34Ligas<\/a><br>\ud83c\udf89 This one\u2019s for you, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/RMFans?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#RMFans<\/a>! \ud83c\udf89 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gPdwXdmdoB\" target=\"_blank\">pic.twitter.com\/gPdwXdmdoB<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Real Madrid C.F. \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@realmadriden) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realmadriden\/status\/1284037728447979522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">July 17, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic were brought in to add a new dimension to Real Madrid\u2019s struggling attack. Unfortunately, however, both ended up missing almost all the crucial ties of the season and added a combined total of three goals to Real Madrid\u2019s tally. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>Yet, despite the odds, Zidane and his Real Madrid have come out on top, and comfortably so.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<p>The three-peat Champions League winning manager produced a tactical masterclass to turn Real Madrid into the meanest defence in Europe. But that alone wouldn\u2019t have been enough to beat Quique Setien\u2019s Barcelona to the punch. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>Zinedine Zidane, despite his qualities, wouldn\u2019t have managed to pull off this \u201cmiracle\u201d if he didn\u2019t have gargantuan on-field leaders at his disposal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83c\udfc6\ud83d\udc4a We demand glory. We deliver glory.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/34Ligas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#34Ligas<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/RealFootball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#RealFootball<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/adidasfootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@adidasfootball<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/bMs70feOeF\" target=\"_blank\">pic.twitter.com\/bMs70feOeF<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Real Madrid C.F. \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@realmadriden) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realmadriden\/status\/1284020008712982530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">July 17, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>The unabashed warrior, captain of Real Madrid, Sergio Ramos, once again played a crucial role in making his team-mates believe in the cause again. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>Thibaut Courtois, who was bashed left and right in his debut campaign, led by example, proving that a massive turnaround was indeed possible. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>Luka Modric, in the middle of the pitch, defied biology to produce an unmatched string of performances, post-pandemic. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>And finally, <a href=\"https:\/\/kyrosports.com\/tag\/karim-benzema\/\" class=\"rank-math-link\">Karim Benzema<\/a> silenced his and Real Madrid\u2019s critics once and for all, proving that the capital club of Madrid was never going to be eclipsed by a single player; everyone is replaceable, even the greatest.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<p>In 2011-12, when Jose Mourinho led Real Madrid to a famous triumph against Barcelona, Madridistas were treated to scintillating counter-attacking football. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>In 2016-17, Zidane tapped into Los Merengues\u2019 attacking prowess to snatch the league. Yet, both triumphs \u2014 Real Madrid\u2019s only two league successes over the last decade \u2014 look a little pale in comparison to this season\u2019s heroics. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>Yes, Real Madrid couldn\u2019t manage to rack up goals as they have throughout history. Yes, they weren\u2019t as flamboyant as their reputation demands. But when push came to shove, the squad of 2019-20 shone brighter than the other two ever did. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>From barely securing Champions League football to sealing the league with a game in hand \u2014 Zinedine Zidane\u2019s Real Madrid has defined perseverance and efficiency in the boldest possible way, etching their name in history.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"und\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83d\udd1f\/\ud83d\udd1f<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/34Ligas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#34Ligas<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/RealFootball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#RealFootball<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Amm3KICO9N\" target=\"_blank\">pic.twitter.com\/Amm3KICO9N<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Real Madrid C.F. \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@realmadriden) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realmadriden\/status\/1283974710938619905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">July 17, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>Real Madrid, the champions of Spain, will play their final match of the league campaign against Alaves on Sunday night. After that, they\u2019d turn their attention to the Champions League Round of 16, where they need to overturn a 2-1 deficit against Manchester City. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>The odds are once again firmly stacked up against Zidane\u2019s men. Yet, given Los Vikingos\u2019 recent displays, would Pep Guardiola dare to rest on his laurels? Should anyone?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Also Read: <a href=\"https:\/\/kyrosports.com\/real-madrid-win-la-liga-after-3-years\/\" class=\"rank-math-link\">Twitter reacts as Real Madrid win first La Liga title in 3 years<\/a>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On the 96th minute, the on-field official, Hernandez Hernandez, blew his whistle for the last time. The eerily vacant Alfredo di Stefano stadium echoed the hurrahs of Zinedine Zidane\u2019s men, of Real Madrid \u2014 the newly-crowned champions of La Liga.\u00a0 In the final weeks of the disastrous 2018-19 campaign, no one, not even the most [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":27538,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5452,5469,16,5453,5454,34,5535,841],"tags":[4906,4635,3524,5415,4907],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kyrosports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27539"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kyrosports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kyrosports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kyrosports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/45"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kyrosports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27539"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kyrosports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27539\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kyrosports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kyrosports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kyrosports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kyrosports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}