Zinedine Zidane has resigned as Real Madrid manager with immediate effect, the Spanish club said Thursday, just days after the club were beaten to the La Liga title by Atletico Madrid.
The Frenchman’s departure comes at the end of a disappointing campaign — by his own high standards — for the 13-time European champions, who also lost to Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals as they failed to win a trophy for the first time in 11 seasons.
“It has been an honor to have a legend like you as a coach. Thank you for what you have taught me, for the trust you have always had in me and for what we have won together. Hopefully we meet again. I wish you the best,” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois tweeted.
The 1998 World Cup winner first took the helm in January 2016 and guided Real to the 2017 La Liga title and an unprecedented hat-trick of Champions League titles before abruptly quitting on May 31, 2018. He returned in 2019, winning a second La Liga crown in 2020 and the Spanish Super Cup.
Here are some reactions to the news of Zidane’s departure for the second time:
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