Global impact, Zidane praised the best player he coached, and it's not Cristiano

Zinedine Zidane is one of the most beloved legends in the history of Real Madrid, and he has recently revealed which of his former players at the club left him amazed above all others and made a lasting impact on his coaching career.

The former midfielder won 17 trophies as a player and then went on to manage the team in two successful spells. During his time on the sidelines at the Santiago Bernabéu, he had iconic players under his command such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Toni Kroos, Gareth Bale, Vinicius and Casemiro.

However, in an interview with Telefoot, Zidane revealed that Karim Benzema, the Ballon d'Or winner, was his top choice as the player who impressed him the most, although Luka Modric was also very close.

"If there is one player who makes me get up from my seat, it's Karim Benzema. Maybe also Luka Modric. These are players who, when they have the ball, one might think they will lose it, but they always manage to come out on top," were Zidane's words.

He became instrumental

During Zidane's first spell as coach, Benzema was largely a supporting player for Ronaldo. However, when Zidane returned for his second stint in March 2019, Benzema had assumed the role of the main goal scorer for Real Madrid.