Zinedine Zidane has resigned as Real Madrid manager with immediate effect, the Spanish club said Thursday.
The Frenchman’s departure comes at the end of a disappointing campaign for the 13-time European champions, who also lost to Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals as they failed to win a trophy for the first time in 11 seasons.
“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,” said the La Liga giants in a statement on their official website.“
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,” the club said. “He knows that he is at the heart of Real Madrid and that Real Madrid is and will always be his home.”
The announcement marks the end of Zidane’s second spell in charge of the Spanish giants.
The 1998 World Cup winner first took the helm in January 2016 and guided Real to the 2017 La Liga title and an unprecedented hat-trick of Champions League titles before abruptly quitting in May 2018.
He returned in 2019, winning a second La Liga crown in 2020 and the Spanish Super Cup. Zidane could take another break from football but he has been linked with taking charge of the French national team and Juventus, where he spent five years as a player.
