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It's a shocker! Zinedine Zidane has announced that he is leaving Real Madrid after a magical 2 and a half year spell at the club.
"I made this decision because I love this club, I love (Florentino Perez) and I am grateful towards him. The team needs to continue winning and needs a change," said the three-time Champions League winner.
Real Madrid President Florentino Perez also had this to say: "I would've liked to have convinced him to stay but I know what he's like.," Perez said. "It has been completely unexpected. It has been impossible to convince him. Real will be his home forever."
Now, it's going to be a tough time for Real Madrid to find a suitable replacement! Here are five managers they could target.
#5 Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte's future at Chelsea is in doubt. The board and the fans are not happy with him and he is bound to be replaced this summer.
The Italian is a brilliant coach and can do amazing things if backed properly. Real Madrid have the players he needs and will get him the ones he asks for as well.
His style of football will reflect well and won't be defensive like it was in his 2nd year at Chelsea. The 3-5-2 formation can do wonders at the Bernabeu and bring beautiful football along with the trophies.
That is the formation he wanted to implement at Chelsea during his 2nd season but did not get the players he wanted. Had he got the ones he wanted, The Blues would not have finished outside the Top 4.
They could have put on a better show in the Champions League too. The manager had to opt to play defensive in a lot of games as he could not match the opponents.
The fans were clearly unhappy with this and wanted his sacked a lot of times during the season. His constant cribbing about transfers in the press conferences made it worse for him and the board was also not on his side in the end.
#4 Mauricio Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with Real Madrid for a long time now. He's done a good job at Tottenham and the only thing missing on his CV is trophies.
Madrid know that he can deliver it with the right resources and could hand him a chance at Bernabeu. He recently signed a new contract but we all know that contracts don't mean anything in modern day football.
Spurs can also use that as a ploy to get more money from Madrid. The fact that he hates Barcelona will make the fans back him from the word go.
#3 Arsene Wenger
Real Madrid have been chasing Arsene Wenger for years. He has accepted that he rejected a couple of approaches from them and this might be the right time for him to finally make that switch.
Wenger left Arsenal after 22 years and is now without a club. Real Madrid might take a gamble and give him a chance, at least for a year. For a club that appointed Rafa Benitez, this will not be a big gamble at all.
He loves attacking football and with the players that are already there at the club, the kind of football he brings in will be just mesmerizing. As long as he doesn't sign a player from Arsenal, Madridistas will be fine with him.
#2 Maurizio Sarri
Maurizio Sarri is still on Napoli's payroll but they have appointed Carlo Ancelotti already. The manager has a €8 million release clause that expires today and what an epic move it would be for Madrid to activate it in the 11th hour.
With limited resources at Napoli, he has produced some brilliant football and challenged Juventus for the title. He finished the season with 91 points but sadly, Juve were just a tad bit better than his side.
It is about time Real Madrid adopted a philosophy and stuck to a manager. Sarri can be the answer and Madridistas will love him on and off the pitch.
#1 Luis Enrique
One former player being replaced by another. Luis Enrique's style of football would be apt for Madrid and his appointment can send shock waves in Catalonia.
Barcelona replaced him with Ernesto Valverde last summer as the fans were not happy with the manager. He has all the capabilities to guide Real Madrid to La Liga triumphs but his record in the Champions League might be a bit of a bother.
He won the treble with Barcelona in 2014/15 but that was his best in the European competition. But with 13 trophies and no side close to reaching double figures, it might be time for Madrid to shift their focus and win La Liga for a few seasons.
