Pintus Returns To Madrid As Enemy

JAKARTA - Former Real Madrid fitness coach Antonio Pintus will return to Valdebebas as an enemy when Los Blancos face Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday, November 3 evening at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano.

Launching MARCA, November 3, Pintus joined Zinedine Zidane's coaching staff in 2016/17 and was labeled a fitness guru at Real Madrid. In fact, after the Champions League final against Juventus in Cardiff, the former king of Spain, Juan Carlos I, even asked about Pintus' whereabouts in the dressing room because he was amazed.

With Pintus in charge of the team's fitness preparations, Real Madrid won the Champions League and La Liga doubles titles that season and his efforts were praised on multiple occasions.

Initially, he was greeted with suspicion by the players, who were unfamiliar with his method of continuous running which became the norm at their training ground in Valdebebas.

Pintus even had them climb all the steps of the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, but his charisma and end product inspired everyone at the club.

With Pintus, Zidane won one La Liga title and two Champions League trophies, but they parted ways when Zizou decided to leave Real Madrid and Pintus stayed at the club. For many, Pintus's decision to stay at Los Blancos was the cause of their breakup.

They should be able to work together again when the French coach returns in March 2019, but that summer Pintus left for Italy. People close to Pintus said the reason for his departure to Italy was personal reasons, not because there was a problem with Zidane.

After Pintus' departure, Zidane turned to another fitness specialist, Gregory Dupont. The man 's methods have won praise, especially after a forced break due to a pandemic in which Real Madrid went on to win the La Liga title.

Today, Tuesday, local time, Pintus returned to his former home in Valdebebas - this time as an enemy.