Toni Kroos is not expecting any quick fixes to happen for Real Madrid this year – despite the club spending more than €300 million on new transfers.
Los Blancos have brought in Chelsea forward Eden Hazard, striker Luka Jovic from Frankfurt, Lyon left-back Ferland Mendy, Porto defender Eder Militao and added another exciting Br azilian in 18-year-old Rodrygo this summer.
It is a pointed response to a miserable campaign last year in which their glorious Champions League run came to an emphatic end against Ajax, while they finished 19 points behind Barcelona’s pace in La Liga.
Zidane could not arrest the slump when he took the reins back over in March – and a repeat of last season’s performances will be untenable.
However, Germany midfielder Kroos admits that rediscovering the form that led the club to three successive Champions League titles will be no mean feat.
"It is not easy to take the team back to where Zidane left it, it is difficult to reach that level."
"Our team was in a different situation when Zidane returned in mid-March of 2019 compared to when he left the team in May 2018," Kroos told German Magazine Kicker.
"We want to play better football, and more consistently. That’s important because, after you do that, the rest comes by itself."
"If you play better, you’ll be in the fight for the titles."
Despite their spending splurge, Real have been hampered by several injuries during pre-season, not least with the news that Spain forward Marco Asensio is expected to miss most of the campaign.
Jovic, who scored 25 goals for Frankfurt last year, also had a minor setback.
But Kroos added: "He has integrated well. He had bad luck with the injury."
" Jovic is an option who will make us stronger with what he is best at: scoring goals."