Zinedine Zidane Steps Down As Real Madrid Coach After Disappointing Season

Football icon Zinedine Zidane has resigned as the manager of Spanish football club Real Madrid with immediate effect, the club announced Thursday, just days after the team was beaten to the La Liga title by rivals Atletico Madrid.

The announcement

“Real Madrid announces that Zinedine Zidane has decided to end his current spell as coach of our club. It is now time to respect his decision and show him our appreciation for his professionalism, dedication, and passion in all these years, and for what his figure represents for Real Madrid,” the Spanish football club said in a statement.

“Zidane is one of Real Madrid’s great icons, and his legacy extends beyond what he has achieved as a coach and player at our club. He is aware that he has a place in the hearts of the Real Madrid fans and that he will always have a home at Real Madrid,” the club added.

Disappointing season

The announcement marks the end of the Frenchman’s second spell as manager of the Spanish football giant more than a year before his contract was slated to expire in 2022.

He had first taken reins of the team in January 2016, before abruptly quitting in March 2018, but returned for a second spell in March 2019.

The football great led Real Madrid to two league titles and three consecutive Champions League trophies as a coach but left at the end of a disappointing campaign for the club.

In addition to being pipped to the La Liga title, the club lost to Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals and failed to win a trophy for the first time in 11 seasons.

Tributes pour in

In an Instagram post, Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos described Zidane as “the one and only,” while teammate Karim Benzema thanked Zidane “for everything you have given me both professionally and personally.”

“I am proud and honored to have been able to move forward and grow with the man that you are. See you,” he added in a tweet.

French defender Raphael Varane said Zidane was “more than a coach, a mentor,” Reuters reported.

“It has been an honor to have a legend like you as a coach. Thank you for what you have taught me, for the trust you have always had in me, and for what we have won together,” wrote Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Likely replacements

The next moves of Zidane, who infamously headbutted Italian defender Marco Materazzi in the FIFA 2006 World Cup final, were not immediately known, but within hours of his resignation, names of several potential replacements were doing the rounds.

Former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, who this week terminated his contract a year early, just days after leading Inter Milan to their first Serie A title in 11 years, is seen as a potential replacement. Real Madrid great Raul Gonzalez is also in the fray. Names of former Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri and Joachim Loew, who is slated to step down as Germany coach at the end of the European Championships, are also reckoning.