BEVERLY HILLS, May 27, (THEWILL) –As THEWILL reported on Wednesday, Zinedine Zidane’s second spell as head coach of Real Madrid is over. The Madrid side have confirmed it with an official statement announcing the Frenchman’s departure.
Zidane, a former “Galactico”, a majestic playmaker who dazzled crowds at the Santiago Bernabeu and beyond, returned to Madrid for two spells as coach with the first miles more glorious than the latter. With the end of his second era as manager, Real stated on Thursday: “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 he represents to Real Madrid.
“Zidane is one of the great mythical figures of Real Madrid and his legend goes beyond what he has been as a coach and player of our club.
“He knows that he is at the heart of Real Madrid and that Real Madrid is and will always be his home.”
THEWILL recalls that from January 2016 to May 2018, Zidane delivered an astonishing three successive Champions League triumphs and one LaLiga title, bringing to the La Liga heavyweights an unprecedented back-to-back victories in Europe’s biggest football competition in his debut senior professional coaching career.
He returned to the club in March 2019, for a second spell that was nothing as profound and not exactly as thrilling as his first. Yet, in the midst of a raging pandemic, Zidane still led the club to the La Liga title last year.
He followed that with a barren campaign on the trophy front this time round with the reminder of a painful loss to minnows Alcoyano in the Copa del Rey. There was also the aggregate loss to UEFA Champions League finalist Chelsea and losing the Spanish title to Atletico Madrid to sum up the just concluded campaign.
As earlier reported by THEWILL, the 48-year-old Frenchman had been tipped to depart for weeks, with the confirmation of his exit coming as no surprise to most. And even if Madrid striker Karim Benzema said this week: “I don’t see him leaving. He will not leave, you will see,” the time has now arrived and Zidane has left.
It is up to Real to find a worthy successor. Another former Real icon, Raul Gonzales, the current manager of Real Madrid Castilla, has been linked with the post but he is mostly inexperienced, and Massimiliano Allegri emerged as an early favourite as whispers of Zidane’s decision emerged.
There is a twist in that second alternative as Allegri, who won a Serie A title with Milan in 2011 and added five more with Juventus, is reportedly returning to the Turin giants as a replacement for Andrea Pirlo, which could be announced soon if that is the case.
There is also Antonio Conte, who left Inter on Wednesday, coinciding with Zidane’s leaving, may be in the Madrid frame as Allegri goes to Juventus according to early reports. Another contender could be Joachim Low, who will step down as Germany coach after Euro 2020.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
