Real Madrid sacks Benitez, Zidane takes over

Benítez’s fate was decided at an emergency board meeting on Monday
• Zidane, who coaches Real’s B team, is new manager at the Bernabéu


Zinedine Zidane, left, is the new man in charge at Real Madrid after Rafael Benítez was fired on Monday evening.
Zinedine Zidane has become the manager of Real Madrid after the club’s president, Florentino Pérez, announced the sacking of Rafael Benítez at the Bernabéu on Monday night, after exactly seven months in charge.

Zidane was briefly presented after Pérez offered a short, two-sentence statement confirming the board had agreed to “resolve” Benítez’s contract that had two more seasons left to run. The Spaniard was not at the stadium and sources close to him claimed he had not been informed of the decision.

It was only 13 days ago that Pérez told a Spanish radio station Benítez was not a “problem” but the “solution” and six weeks since he called a press conference to deny reports he was planning to sack the manager, instead blaming the media for seeking to “destabilise” the club. “Rafa has just started his work; let him work. He needs time,” Pérez said then.

“We have taken a difficult decision, especially for me, to resolve Rafa Benítez’s contract,” Pérez said on Monday. “He is a great professional and a magnificent person and we wish to express our gratitude for the work he has done over these months.”

That was all Pérez had to say about Benítez and he did not allow questions from a packed press conference set up in the VIP area of the stadium. There were no explanations for the sacking nor any more information offered as to the agreement reached to rescind his contract, or indeed if an agreement had been reached with the former Liverpool manager.

Without pausing, Pérez turned to Zinedine Zidane who had walked into the room before him, accompanied by his family, and was sitting in the front row. Benítez was quickly forgotten, no longer mentioned. Zidane is the 15th manager Real Madrid have had since 2003.

“I want to announce we have decided to name Zinedine Zidane as our new coach. He is without doubt one of the greatest figures in the history of football,” Pérez said. “He knows better than anyone what it means to be at the head of Madrid’s first team squad. He knows how hard this challenge is but how exciting it is too.”

“He knows a lot of the players too from the 10th [European Cup] in Lisbon [when Zidane was assistant to Carlo Ancelotti],” Pérez continued. “He has always taken on the greatest challenges in football with talent and effort.”

Turning to Zidane, Pérez said: “This is your stadium and your club and you have all our confidence and trust to make the fans excited once more. It makes me proud because for me the word impossible does not exist.”

In total he had spoken for a minute and a half and he then made way for Zidane who gave a short, timid speech in which he said that “work begins tomorrow”. He will be presented at the Bernabéu, alongside the director of institutional relations Emilio Butragueño.

Madrid are third in La Liga, two points behind Barcelona and four behind Atlético. A 2-2 draw against Valencia on Sunday in which neither James Rodríguez nor Isco played was Benítez’s final game. He had a difficult relationship with some players, although Gareth Bale is believed to be very unhappy to see him depart. There was tension too between the manager and the president over team selection.

Pérez had been unconvinced by Benítez for some time but was also unsure about handing the first team job to Zidane mid-season and had been thinking over this decision for a while, despite his public defence of Benítez.

Zidane, whop played 108 times for France and scored 31 goals, completed his full licence badges in the summer and has spent just over a year in charge of Real Madrid Castilla, the club’s B team, who are second in the second division B, Group II. The 43-year-old will bring his backroom staff with him.

The former Real Madrid winger Santiago Solari will not be part of Zidane’s staff, despite reports suggesting he would join him.