Zidane resigns as Real Madrid coach: reports
Zinedine Zidane offers resigned as Real Madrid manager with quick effect, according to media studies, just days after the golf club were beaten to the La Liga name by Atletico Madrid.
The Frenchman’s reported departure comes by the end of a disappointing campaign for the 13-time European champions, who also misplaced to Chelsea in the Champions Group semi-finals as they failed to win a trophy for the very first time in 11 seasons.
Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano broke what he called “exclusive” news on a tweet that was found by Spanish sports outlets including Madrid sports dailies Marca and AS, and the air station Cadena Ser.
The official announcement of his departure, said Romano, will be made “within the next hours/days”.
Only 10 days before Zidane, who includes a contract until 2022, denied media speculation that he previously previously told his players that he'd be leaving at the end of the season.
“How am I likely to show my players that I am going now? It’s a lie,” he said after a 1-0 gain at Athletic Bilbao.
“I focus on this year. There is a game still left and we are likely to give everything. I only care what goes on in this finale.”
But, conceivably tellingly, he added: “The others, we will see at the end of the season.”
If confirmed, it marks the end of Zidane’s second spell responsible for the Spanish giants.
The 1998 World Glass winner first took the helm in January 2016 and guided Real to the 2017 La Liga title and an unprecedented hat-trick of Champions Little league titles before abruptly quitting on May 31, 2018.
He returned in 2019, winning another La Liga crown found in 2020 and the Spanish Super Cup.
