Real Madrid confirm Zinedine Zidane has quit as the club's manager

Real Madrid confirm Zinedine Zidane has QUIT for a SECOND TIME, with no comment from the departing manager or Florentino Perez and their search for a boss now a mess after Massimiliano Allegri chose to join Juventus instead

  • Real Madrid have confirmed Zinedine Zidane has quit the club for a second time
  • Doubts over the his future had been growing after Madrid missed out on LaLiga
  • Zidane has sensed for some time he did not have the backing of Florentino Perez
  • Massimiliano Allegri was the favourite but he has chosen to join Juventus instead

Real Madrid have confirmed that Zinedine Zidane has resigned as the club’s manager, leaving the post for the second time in his managerial career.

While there has been no comment as of yet from Zidane or Real president Florentino Perez, a club statement said ‘Real Madrid is and will always be’ Zidane’s home.

Doubts over the Frenchman’s future had been growing after Real were pipped to the LaLiga title last weekend by rivals Atletico Madrid.   

Real Madrid have confirmed that Zinedine Zidane has resigned as the club’s manager

Zidane was always expected to leave this summer amid tension with Florentino Perez (right)

Sportsmail reported earlier this month that Zidane would walk away from the club regardless of whether they secured the title because he had sensed for some time that he did not have the backing of president Florentino Perez.  

News broke on Wednesday night that the Frenchman was going to walk away and Real have now confirmed he has gone just over 12 hours later.

A club statement read: ‘Real Madrid CF announces that Zinedine Zidane has decided to end his current stage 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.

‘Zidane is one of the great myths 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.’

The Frenchman had been in charge across two spells since 2016, and has won three Champions Leagues and two LaLiga titles in the Spanish capital. 


Club icon Raul (left) and former Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte (right) have been linked 

Real were unable to defend the Spanish title this time around in a trophy-less campaign after struggling with injuries and an ageing squad.

They lost in the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea and were also dumped out of the Copa del Rey in the round of 32 at the hands of lowly Alcoyano.

Zidane was expected to be an immediate target for Juventus but it seems likely they will now re-hire former manager Max Allegri with Andrea Pirlo expected to be sacked by the Italian giants on Thursday.

Zidane has also been linked with the French national team following his departure from the Bernabeu but Didier Deschamps remains in charge going into this summer’s European Championships.

Club legend Raul has been seen by supporters as the long-term successor to Zidane, but Perez had appeared to prefer Allegri should he have been available when a managerial change happened.  

Zidane has twice managed Real over the past five years, winning three Champions Leagues 

Despite problems with Perez, Zidane always maintained he has the backing of dressing room

Antonio Conte’s name has also been mentioned as a replacement after the Italian resigned as manager of Inter Milan on Wednesday. 

The recent Serie A winner was linked with the vacant post in 2018 after Julen Lopetegui was sacked and could be in Perez’s mind as an option this time.

Following Madrid’s 2-1 defeat by Villarreal last week which saw them miss out on the title on the final day, Zidane said: ‘We have to congratulate Atletico Madrid. They deserve it, they had a great season.

‘I’m not the most important thing here. The most important thing is what the players did all year. We have to think about what we did all season, congratulate the players, and then with time, with calm, we’ll see.

‘I’ll talk with the club, calmly, but not right now.’ 


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