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16 years ago, in 2001, Zidane joined Real Madrid and met Claude Makelele, who became the perfect midfield shield for him during the two seasons they spent together. Now, the story has been repeated. Zidane he once again has found his Makelele, in the form of Casemiro.
Makelele, who played for Los Blancos from 2000 until 2003 before joining Chelsea, was under no illusions as to what his job was: "My mission on the field was to win the ball and give it to Zidane," he admitted. Makelele never scored a goal of his own. Similarly, the situation is now being mirrored with Zidane again finding a defensive midfielder who he has the utmost faith in and who he considers an essential part of the side.
Under Carlo Ancelotti, the former Sao Paulo man had very few opportunities but found himself featuring a little more under Rafael Benitez, albeit never completely winning his trust. With Zidane, things have been much different, so much so that Real Madrid haven't lost a game since he returned from injury.
Like Makelele, the 24-year-old's mission is to make things easier for Zidane, his coach. He guards his territory, hassles opposition players and wins the ball back when required. The only difference is that, unlike Makelele, he is capable of springing a surprise every so often in the offensive side of his game, as his stunning volley against Napoli showed.
That strike is the best demonstration that the Brazilian is more than a midfielder whose role is to win back the ball and feed it to his side's more established attacking talents.
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