Between the Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo eras, Zinedine Zidane stands in a space of his own for inspiring France's 1998 World Cup victory and controlling games from the heart of the pitch with a degree of orchestration neither of the two current megastars could match. Which is not to say Zidane was a superior footballer to Messi or Ronaldo. Real Madrid's new manager radiated something different: a calmness, vision and authority that may yet force an apology from those now saying his is a superficial appointment by a president sufficiently daft to sack Carlo Ancelotti and appoint Rafa Benitez, whose patriarchal style cannot work in the world headquarters of player power, the Bernabeu dressing room.Zidane's restless need to impose his will on games will also now be felt by those Real Madrid players who might think a mate has taken over as manager.If Zidane starts showing off in training, as Glenn Hoddle was inclined to, even Ronaldo will feel himself challenged by the old bald guy clipping free-kicks. But "Zizou" will not be there to horse around. There is nothing of the dilettante in his CV. His problem is not the old one of genius players turning to management but the shocking lack of power that comes with coaching Real.Already some credible witnesses (and others with an agenda) are saying Zidane was appointed because a number of players vetoed Jose Mourinho's return. Any Real Madrid coach sails between player-agent politicking and presidential whim.In that sense hiring a galactico to manage galacticos completes a perfect circle. To Real's critics it will appear that the club has attained the pure narcissistic state it has been hurtling towards over two decades of acute simplification. The big idea? Get the world's biggest names and lock them into one room.This top-down theory has been the life's work of Florentino Perez, El Presidente, who devised the tactic in his first Bernabeu reign of throwing a net over the world's most famous players and letting talent do the rest. And it worked for a while, with Zidane at the artistic and spiritual core of a side who - however sniffy people were - touched rhapsodic levels.The consensus now is to dismiss Zidane's elevation as a shallow punt on glamour and inexperience. After all Benitez lost his job with a record of played 25, won 17, drew five, lost three, with 69 goals scored and 22 conceded.But he continued believing modern players exist to be told what to do by the likes of Benitez.They don't, as Zidane will know, and now we move into an era in which managers are like pilots having to fly planes without being allowed inside the cockpit. Ancelotti has been sacked by Chelsea and Real Madrid. Mourinho has run aground at the same two clubs. So, if Zidane is "inexperienced", you might point out: the experienced ones are not lasting very long either...