Zinedine Zidane‘s second departure from Real Madrid as head coach has been confirmed on Thursday, following news on Wednesday night – during the Europa League final – that he will once again cut short his time as Los Blancosboss. In this live blog, stay with us for the latest updates and developments on Zidane and his possible replacement.
Zidane to leave Real Madrid LIVE
19:30 CEST: The pros and cons of the candidates to replace Zidane
Massimiliano Allegri appeared to be one of the leading contenders for the head coach’s job, but he’s now reached an agreement with Juventus.
That leaves Raul, Antonio Conte, Mauricio Pochettino and Xabi Alonso as the most likely candidates to replace Zidane.
That’s why we’ve drawn up a list of pro and cons for each of them, here. Let us know which of the four you’d prefer at Los Blancos.
17:04 CEST: Zidane’s disciples
Let’s take a look back at the players who have stood out the most with Zidane in the dugout, according to various statistics.
No player has played more games under the Frenchman at Real Madrid than Karim Benzema (217). Cristiano Ronaldo, with 112 goals, is the top scorer under Zidane, four more than Benzema (108) However, it is the French striker who has participated in the most goals under his compatriot with 156 goal contributions (108 goals and 48 assists), 18 more than Ronaldo (138: 112 goals and 26 assists). When it comes to assists alone, Toni Kroos is top of the list with 51.
In Zidane’s first spell in charge of Los Blancos, the player with the most games was Lucas Vazquez with 121 appearances, seven more than any other player. In Zidane’s second spell, Benzema was the only player who exceeded a century of games (103).
16:30 CEST: Real Madrid make Pochettino No.1 target
With the news that Mauricio Pochettino could surprisingly depart Paris Saint-Germain, Goal claim that he is now Real Madrid’s No.1 target to replace Zinedine Zidane.
15:30 CEST: Zidane and Villarreal
Zidane famously asked for Juan Roman Riquelme’s shirt in the final match of his playing days at club level, when Real Madrid faced Villarreal at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, and now both of his coaching exits from Los Blancos have also come against the Yellow Submarine. A curious fact.
14:30 CEST: Benzema’s farewell to Zidane
Karim Benzema and Zinedine Zidane had a very close relationship and, following the latter’s departure from Real Madrid, the No.9 has penned a farewell to his former boss.
“Thank you, Brother, for all that you have given me, both collectively and personally,” the caption for Benzema’s post on Instagram read. “I am proud and honoured to have been able to progress and grow with the kind of man you are. See you…”
14:00 CEST: Zidane plans to coach next season
According to COPE’s Miguel Angel Diaz, Zinedine Zidane called his players on Wednesday to inform them of his decision, while he also told them that he intends to coach next season.
13:30 CEST: Zidane’s record at Real Madrid
Zidane has won 11 trophies as head coach at Real Madrid in 263 games at the helm, which means that he lifted a piece of silverware every 23 games. Read more on Zidane’s records at Real Madrid HERE.
13:00 CEST: Several Real Madrid players say farewell to Zidane
Sergio Ramos, Thibaut Courtois, Dani Carvajal and Raphael Varane are amongst the Real Madrid players that have all made a social media post thanking Zinedine Zidane for his work.
“ZZ, the one and only,” Ramos wrote on social media. “I wish you all the best. You deserve it, you’ve earnt it. Enjoy life and your family. All the best, boss. Merci, Zidane.”
“It has been an honour to have a legend like you as a coach,” Courtois wrote on Instagram. “Thank you for what you have taught me, for the trust you have always had in me and for what we have won together, Zidane. I hope we meet again. I wish you all the best!”
“Coach, I only have words of thanks for the time I have had you as my coach,” Carvajal penned on social media. “Thank you very much for your commitment, dedication and for making me a better player every day. Thanks to all the staff who have been by our side all these years, I wish you all the best. I’m sure we will meet again in the future.”
“Since I arrived at Madrid 10 years ago, you have been more than a coach; you have been a mentor,” Varane wrote about Zidane on social media. “You helped me develop as a player and as a man. You have been able to take this golden generation to the top with class (and several times!). I can’t thank you enough for all the advice you’ve given me, both on and off the pitch. Thanks again, boss! Good luck and see you soon, I hope!”
12:30 CEST: Allegri and Pochettino off the table
Massimiliano Allegri is closing in on a return to Juventus, according to Fabrizio Romano, while reports in England claim that Mauricio Pochettino may leave Paris Saint-Germain in order to secure a sensational return to Tottenham Hotspur.
12:05 CEST: REAL MADRID CONFIRM ZIDANE DEPARTURE
Real Madrid have released a statement in which they have confirmed the departure of Zinedine Zidane.
“Real Madrid CF announce that Zinedine Zidane has decided to end his current period as coach of our club,” it read.
“It is now time to respect his decision and show our gratitude for his professionalism, dedication and passion over all these years, and for what [he] represents to Real Madrid.
“Zidane is one of the great legends of Real Madrid and his legend goes beyond what he has been as a coach and player for our club.
“He knows that he is in the heart of Real Madrid fans and that Real Madrid is and always will be his home.”
11:30 CEST: Allegri set to stay in Italy
Massimiliano Allegri has been rumoured as a possible replacement for Zidane, but reports in Italy now state that the Italian will choose either Juventus or Inter, with the Bianconeri being the most likely candidate. La Gazzetta dello Sport report that Allegri has been offered a four-year contract by Juventus worth between eight and nine million euros per season.
11:00 CEST: Zidane arrives at Valdebebas
Zidane has been caught by El Chiringuito’s cameras arriving at Real Madrid’s training complex. There could be an announcement on Zidane’s future any moment now.
10:30 CEST: Three options to replace Zidane
There are three names that are at the forefront of the discussions over who should replace Zidane: Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri and Raul Gonzalez.
Conte, who left Inter on Wednesday, was linked with taking charge after Julen Lopetegui’s dismissal in 2018, but Santiago Solari was instead promoted from his role as Castilla boss.
Allegri, meanwhile, has been the coach that has been most strongly linked with the position. He has interest from Inter and Juventus, so Real Madrid will need to move fast if they want him to be their next head coach.
And Raul is the fans’ choice. At Castilla he has demonstrated his qualities as a coach but also as someone that can manage the dressing room. The question is whether Real Madrid should allow him to continue his development with Castilla, or do they think he can take the big job now? Raul had an offer to take charge of Eintracht Frankfurt, something that didn’t materialise in the end, but he possibly wanted to wait and see what would happen with Zidane first.
10:00 CEST: Zidane on his future
After the final match of the league season, Zidane dropped hints that he is planning to leave Real Madrid for the second time in three years. “In time and calmly I will talk to the club, [but] later,” he said following Real Madrid’s win against Villarreal. “Now we have to be calm and in the next few days we’ll talk about it. We’ll soon see what’s going to happen. Not just with me, but with everything the club is going to do for next season.”
09:30 CEST: Zidane’s exit has been a long time coming
Zidane has come under pressure at various points this season – particularly after Real Madrid’s embarrassing Copa del Rey exit to Alcoyano and when it looked like they might not make it out of their Champions League group – but it was from this period that the club began to realise that a change was needed. Read more HERE.
09:00 CEST: An announcement could be imminent
Fabrizio Romano, who was the first to announce that Zidane will leave Real Madrid, has published another tweet in which he has said that his departure could be confirmed in the coming hours. He reports that Los Blancos have been in talks with Massimiliano Allegri since March, although they face competition from Juventus and Inter.
