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Zinedine Zidane leaves Real Madrid for second time as manager

By Vincent Ashitey
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
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Real Madrid have confirmed the departure of head coach Zinedine Zidane.

Zidane has decided to bring his tenure at Real Madrid to an end for the second time in his coaching career.

"Real Madrid C. F. announces that Zinedine Zidane has decided to bring an end to his current spell as head coach of our club, a club statement on Thursday read.

We must now respect his decision and express our gratitude for his professionalism, dedication and passion over the years and what he means to Real Madrid.

Zidane is one of Real Madrid’s great icons and his legacy extends beyond what he has achieved as a coach and player at our club.

He is aware that he has a place in the hearts of the Real Madrid fans and that he will always have a home at Real Madrid."

Real failed to win a trophy this season and were pipped to the La Liga title by city rivals Atletico Madrid on a dramatic final day on Saturday. 

READ ALSO: Villarreal lift first-ever European trophy after dramatic shootout against Manchester United

Zidane, 48, won three consecutive Champions League titles in his first period as boss between 2016 and 2018.

He returned to a club in disarray 10 months later and secured a second Spanish title as a manager in 2019-20.

Not since 2009-10 have Real not won a trophy in a season. They suffered an early exit from the Copa del Rey at the hands of third division side Alcoyano and lost to Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals.

Earlier this month, Zidane, who had a year left on his contract, denied reports that he had informed his squad he would leave at the end of the season.

His future has been a constant topic of discussion in the Spanish press all season, contributing to several spiky exchanges, with the former France forward saying he and his players deserved respect for several trophy-laden years.

He is the only manager to win the Champions League three times, and his trophy haul at Real included another La Liga title, two Club World Cups, two Uefa Super Cups and two Spanish Super Cups.