His departure from Real Madrid had been buzzing in the Spanish press for some time. Zinédine Zidane, under contract until June 30, 2022, decided on Thursday May 27 to put an end to a second term as coach less brilliant than the first.
After a triumphant farewell as a player in 2006, then a first departure from the bench in May 2018, five days after winning an unprecedented treble in the Champions League, Zidane leaves Real for the third time with a duller record and a last season virgin of any title.
In the press release announcing Zidane’s departure, club merengue said “Respect your decision”, recalling that he “Is one of the great myths of Real Madrid and his legend goes beyond what he was as coach and player of our club”. “Real Madrid will always be his home”, added the club.
“Thank you bro”
After winning nine trophies in two and a half years during his first stint on the bench for Real (2016-2018), Zidane was called to the rescue in March 2019 by President Florentino Perez, to replace Santiago Solari while Real had nothing more to gain. Eliminated in the knockout stages of the Champions League by Ajax Amsterdam, the club was already behind in La Liga, eliminated by Barça in the Copa del Rey and twice defeated by Barça in the clasicos.
“Zizou” had then signed until June 2022, with a clear objective: to start a new cycle at Real Madrid, a year after the famous treble in the Champions League and after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo for Juventus Turin. It is this failed renewal that today leads to the departure of the 1998 Ballon d’Or.
Because Florentino Perez gave all the keys to “Zizou” in the 2019 offseason, with the arrival of Eden Hazard (recruited at Chelsea for 115 million euros but long injured since), and the recruitment of several great hopes, like Rodrygo, Eder Militao, Luka Jovic or Ferland Mendy. But apart from this last player, the newcomers will be slow to confirm and the pandemic will change everything.
Zidane finally continued to rely on the backbone that has made the great recent successes of the “White House”: Sergio Ramos and Raphaël Varane in defense; Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro in the midfield; and Karim Benzema in attack.
“Thank you bro for everything you have given me both collectively and personally”, reacted Benzema on Twitter. “I am proud and honored to have been able to move forward and grow with the man that you are. “
Thank you Frérot for everything you have given me both collectively and personally … I am proud and honored to … https://t.co/HuqYOanqKU
Real will manage to snatch his 34e title in La Liga in front of Barça at the resumption of the season, in July 2020, but disappointed in the Champions League, where he was eliminated in the round of 16 by Manchester City.
No trophy this season
But far from the excellence demanded by the Madrid institution, Zidane and his players will have made a roller coaster this 2020-2021 season, alternating disillusions and rare blows of brilliance. With a shortened preseason, 54 injuries and 8 cases of Covid-19 accumulated over the season, Zidane had to redouble his ingenuity and use his tactical skills to dodge pitfalls.
“ZZ” for example dared to tinker with a defense with three central, took the time to trust Vinicius, and even launched some young hopes of the reserve team of Real. On the continental stage, Zidane was not unworthy: despite the difficulties, he hoisted his tired group to the semi-finals, where he gave in to Chelsea. But in the Copa del Rey and the Super Cup of Spain, Real has multiplied the disillusions. And although he managed to interfere in the title fight in the final sprint of the championship, Zidane failed to retain the national crown.
As in 2018, Zidane is leaving his post just days after the end of the season. But unlike 2018, where he resigned after an unprecedented treble in C1, this time he abandoned him on one knee.
What will the future be for him? Rumors see him at Juventus Turin, another of his former clubs, where Andrea Pirlo’s future looks very uncertain. He could also take a few sabbaticals, as in 2018, before, perhaps, thinking of taking up the torch from his former comrade Didier Deschamps in the French team after the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. “Why not one day train the France team? “, Zidane launched last summer in an interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP). ” My story [avec les Bleus] was beautiful. If one day it has to continue, it will happen naturally. “
In his place, at Real, we are talking about another legend of the club, Raul, currently at the head of Castilla. The names of Massimiliano Allegri and Joachim Löw are also whispered.
