Zinedine Zidane has left Real Madrid’s pre-season training camp for personal reasons, the club have announced.
The club have given no further details as to why Zidane has departed the camp in Montreal, Canada.
Real are training in Quebec ahead of their first pre-season fixture against Bayern Munich in the International Champions Cup in Houston on July 21.
Assistant coach David Bettoni will lead training in Zidane’s absence, Real have confirmed.
Tag: zinedine zidane
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Zidane leaves Madrid pre-season training
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Zidane kicks off Real second coming against Celta Vigo
Zinedine Zidane takes charge of his first game since making a return to Real Madrid on Saturday against Celta Vigo.
The match is set to be a de facto audition for next season for many of the team’s under performing players.
Having sacked Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari for a series of embarrassing results, Real Madrid have decided to turn again to the former midfield great who won an unprecedented three Champions League titles in a row before resigning last May.
But Zidane made it clear in his presentation that sweeping changes must be made for his second coming to be a success.
Meaning many in his squad will be playing for their futures against Celta and in the other 10 remaining league games.
With Real out of the Champions League and Copa del Rey, and sitting third in La Liga, 12 points behind leaders Barcelona, the only purpose for the remainder of the season is for Zidane to assess which players he wants to keep as he plots the team’s comeback in the next campaign.
Veteran defender Marcelo and Wales forward Gareth Bale are the most high profile names whose futures look uncertain under Zidane.
While Dani Ceballos, Marco Asensio and Toni Kroos all have points to prove to their returning coach, one player, who could benefit from Zidane’s comeback is Isco, who was outcast from the team by Solari.
Isco was repeatedly left out of the Argentine’s squad for games even when the team was suffering from an injury crisis, as they would be against Celta.
Zidane will be without old favourites Casemiro, Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez against Celta, as well as new kid on the block Vinicius Jr.
Vinicius Jr. has become the club’s great hope but is not expected to return from injury until May.
He also faces an intriguing choice in goal, as the Frenchman frequently fought the corner of Costa Rican Keylor Navas.
His keeper for each of the three Champions League triumphs, who has since been usurped by Thibaut Courtois, who arrived at the club after Zidane had left.
Atletico Madrid meanwhile must shake off the gloom of their chastening Champions League elimination to Juventus when they visit Athletic Bilbao hoping to keep up their chase of Barcelona, who they trail by seven points.
Barca, the only Spanish team left in the Champions League, are in action on Sunday away to Real Betis, who pulled off a shock 4-3 win at the Nou Camp in November and are the last team to beat the Catalans in the league.
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Zidane reveals why he returned to Madrid
Zinedine Zidane has said he decided to return as Real Madrid manager nine months after he walked away because he felt it was the right thing to do.
The Frenchman quit his job at the Santiago Bernabeu, after winning the Champions League for three consecutive years.
Zidane has now returned to replace Santiago Solari and becomes Madrid’s third manager this season, signing a three-year contract until 2022.
“I know this is a special day for everyone. I’m very happy to return here and that’s the most important thing. I will be starting work tomorrow to put this club back where it deserves to be.
“It’s great to be back – not that I’ve been that far away.
“It’s a massive responsibility. I’m just one more member of the team, this club. I love football and I haven’t forgotten what we have won – but I also haven’t forgotten all the things that we did badly. I know where I am.
“I’ll put everything I have within me to make the team better.
“Things are going to change – they need to. But that’s not a priority right now. We have 11 games left, and the idea is to finish the season well.
“The first thing that entered my head when I got the phone call asking me to come back? I’ll come back – and here I am.
“I don’t have any debt to pay with Real Madrid, I don’t owe the club anything. I’m here because I want to be.
“I’ve spent [the last] nine months living here in Madrid, recharging my batteries. Now I’m ready for new challenges with this great club – the club I love,” Zidane told a press conference on Monday night.
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BREAKING: Real Madrid appoints Zidane to replace Solari
Zinedine Zidane has returned as Real Madrid manager to replace Santiago Solari, who was in charge for less than five months.
Former Real midfielder Zidane, 46, who left in May after leading the club to a third straight Champions League trophy, has agreed to take over until 2022, the club announced.
Real are currently third in La Liga, 12 points behind leaders Barcelona.
Solari was sacked after a 4-1 win over Real Valladolid on Sunday – which followed a shock Champions League exit to Ajax.
That 4-1 home defeat and 5-3 aggregate loss to the Dutch side was the final straw for Real president Florentino Perez.
The defeat by Ajax followed two consecutive losses to Barcelona in El Clasico – a 1-0 reverse in La Liga and a 4-1 aggregate defeat in the Copa del Rey.
Zidane stepped down following the Champions League final victory over Liverpool, and Julen Lopetegui was hired as his successor just before the World Cup where he had been due to lead Spain, who promptly sacked him.
Four and a half months later it was Real’s turn to fire him.
Reserve-team boss Solari came in as caretaker before being given a contract to 2021 on 13 November.
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Zidane sets conditions to become Chelsea manager
Former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane will only agree to take charge at Chelsea and replace under-fire Maurizio Sarri only if he is given £200m for transfers, Sun reports.
The Frenchman also urged the London club to hand Belgium playmaker Eden Hazard, 28, a new contract.
Current manager Sarri is running out of support after the 6-0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester City as the Blues dropped to sixth in the Premier League.
Zidane’s incredible Champions League credentials, winning it three times in three years as manager of Real Madrid, are a huge draw for the Blues board.
The 46-year-old is currently not in management and is understood to be very keen on a job in the Premier League.
A move for the legendary French player, who won the World Cup with Les Bleus, would be encouragement for Hazard to sign a new deal.
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I wanted to be like Zidane – Capoue
Watford midfielder Etienne Capoue has revealed he was set on becoming a No. 10 like Zinedine Zidane early in his career before settling for a deeper role.
Having grown up in France when Zidane was at the peak of his powers, a young Capoue wanted to emulate the 1998 World Cup winner by playing in a creative role, as he broke through the youth ranks at Toulouse.
After seeing his career somewhat stall following a move to Tottenham in 2013, Capoue has finally found comfort at Watford under Javi Gracia.
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BREAKING: Zidane steps down as Real Madrid boss
Zinedine Zidane says he is stepping down as Real Madrid boss, five days after leading them to a third straight Champions League triumph, claiming the club needs “a different voice”.
The Frenchman told a news conference that “everything changes” and “that’s why I took this decision”.
He leaves having guided the Spanish club to three successive Champions League titles and one La Liga success since taking over in January 2016.
“I love this club,” he added.
“What I think is that this team needs to continue winning but I think it needs a change, a different voice, another methodology. And that’s why I took this decision.”
Zidane, 45, took over after Rafael Benitez was sacked and was in charge for 149 games. He steered Real to 104 wins and 29 draws, had 69.8% win rate, and won nine trophies.
He said in February that he would walk away if he felt “there is nothing more to give”.
However, the timing of his announcement still came as a shock just days after Real beat Liverpool 3-1 in the Champions League final.
“It’s a strange moment to do so, I know, but an important one too,” he added on Thursday. “I had to do this for everyone.”
Real are looking for their fourth manager in five years.
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with Real in the past. The Argentine signed a new five-year contract at Spurs last week.
Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri could also come into the frame, while Arsene Wenger wants to carry on in management after leaving Arsenal after 22 years in charge.
The decision on who will next manage Real will be made by club president Florentino Perez.
He accompanied Zidane at the news conference and said Zidane’s exit was “totally unexpected”.
“Zidane informed me of his choice yesterday. I thank him for the work he has done,” added Perez.
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David Beckham begs Zidane to beat Liverpool
Former England midfielder David Beckham has begged his former Real Madrid team-mate Zinedine Zidane to beat Liverpool in the Champions League final.
Madrid are aiming for their third consecutive Champions League title – a feat that has not been achieved before – but they must beat Jurgen Klopp’s side on Saturday.
Beckham played in Madrid alongside the Frenchmen from 2003 to 2006 – the latter year Zidane decided to retire from international and club football.
The former Manchester United player is dreading the possibility of his bitter rivals Liverpool winning the title and hopes Madrid can stop their winning parade.
He said: “To have been successful as a player and now to be successful as the boss, the big boss, is incredible. I just want to wish Zizou, the boss, the president, the club good luck in the Champions League final.
“And please beat Liverpool, please!”
Beckham won the Champions League with United in the 1998-1999 season. He crossed in two corners for Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær to score in injury time to defeat Bayern Munich 2-1.
If Zidane wins his third European title as manager he would match the likes of Carlo Ancelotti and Bob Paisley.
Liverpool are aiming for their sixth title and are hoping to emulate their performance from 2005 when they lifted the cup in Istanbul defeating AC Milan on penalties.
The final kicks-off at 7:45pm at the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kiev.
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La Liga: Cristiano Ronaldo needed a rest, says Zinedine Zidane
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane insisted that Cristiano Ronaldo needed a rest after substituting him during derby match against Atletico Madrid at the Bernabeu.
Ronaldo opened the scoring in the Madrid derby, smartly converting Gareth Bale’s cross with a volley from close-range after 53 minutes – but ten minutes later, after Antoine Griezmann’s equaliser, he was replaced by Karim Benzema.
A pin drop could be heard inside the Bernabeu when Ronaldo’s No 7 flashed up on the fourth official’s board as supporters struggled to process what was happening before belatedly breaking out into applause.
Ronaldo did not appear happy at the decision and was seen mouthing something in Zidane’s direction a few minutes later.
Speaking post-match, Zidane said: “Cristiano is Cristiano, he has been this player all his life, scoring 50 goals a season. It is true that there is nobody else who does that.
“But others can score, have done recently, and we must think about the positives. It’s better to have Cristiano with us.“It was just [to rest]. We have many games, that’s it. Sometimes he needs to rest. These days he needs that. He feels better every day, you can see it.”
With Barcelona 10 points clear at the top in La Liga and a place in the top four virtually sewn up, Zidane’s decision to give Ronaldo a break was perhaps understandable.
Real have a Champions League quarter-final second leg against Juventus to come on Wednesday, although they hold a commanding 3-0 lead from the first leg.
Following a slow start to the campaign, Ronaldo has rediscovered his most devastating form in recent weeks, scoring 24 goals in his last 12 games in all competitions, while his strike against Atletico was the 650th of his career.
Sky Sports
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Zidane says Isco will remain at Real Madrid
Los Blancos boss, Zinedine Zidane reveals he has no issue with Isco’s comments over game-time this week and insists he will remain at the Bernabeu.
Isco, who is reportedly at target for Premier League clubs including Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham, said he felt more confidence playing for Spain than his club, after a scoring four goals in a 6-1 thrashing of Argentina.
Zidane in a pre-match press conference ahead of the Week 29 game against Las Palmas admitted that although Isco does not get the same role he gets at the national team in Madrid.
Zidane also believes “what he said is open to interpretation” and says the 25-year-old, who has scored seven goals in 40 appearances for Real this season, remains an important part of his squad.
Real Madrid will also continue the defence of their Champions League title on Tuesday when they face last year’s finalist Juventus in Turin.