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Zinedine Zidane has reportedly called time on his second stint as Real Madrid manager with immediate effect.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Frenchman has already told Real Madrid's staff and players that he will step down as manager. He is yet to speak to club president Florentino Perez about his decision but is set to inform him in the coming hours.
Romano also stated that an official announcement can be expected in the next few hours.
Zinedine Zidane finished the 2020-21 season without any silverware. Real Madrid finished second in La Liga behind Atletico Madrid and were knocked out of the Copa del Rey by minnows Alcoyano. Los Blancos also reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League but were knocked out by Premier League side Chelsea.
Earlier this week, Zinedine Zidane addressed his future at Real Madrid, telling ESPN:
"We have to congratulate Atletico Madrid. They deserve it, they had a great season. I'm not the most important thing here. The most important thing is what the players did all year. Today after the game, we have to be calm, and then in the next few days we'll talk with the club, with the appropriate people. Soon, we'll see what happens, not just with me, but with what the club will do for next season."
He continued:
"You know the year we've had, you've said it all year. We haven't won anything in the end, OK. Here at Real Madrid it's like that, we know where we are and what we have to achieve. With calm and patience, we'll talk. My state of mind? Right now I'm p***ed off because we didn't manage to win the league. If you ask me, that's the answer."
Zidane has been linked with a move to Juventus, but it remains to be seen what he decides to do in the coming weeks.
Real Madrid line up Massimiliano Allegri as replacement
Real Madrid have been linked with former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri. The Italian is seen as the perfect candidate to replace Zinedine Zidane at the helm, given his managerial caliber and his experience winning trophies.
According to Fabrizio Romano, however, Allegri is also being pursued by both Juventus and Inter Milan.
