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Football

31st May 2018

Zinedine Zidane has quit as Real Madrid manager

He took over from Rafa Benitez in 2016

Wayne Farry

The Frenchman has left the club after three consecutive Champions League titles

Zinedine Zidane has quit as manager of Real Madrid just days after his third consecutive Champions League victory during a press conference in Madrid this afternoon.

The Frenchman, who represented the club as a player between 2001 and 2006, succeeded Rafa Benitez as coach in 2016 after two years as coach of their second team, Castilla.

The 45-year-old has experienced unprecedented success in Europe since taking charge at the Santiago Bernabeu.

In 2017 he became the first manager to ever retain the Champions League, defeating Juventus 4-1, before becoming the first manager to win the competition on three consecutive occasions last week, when his Real Madrid side defeated Liverpool 3-1.

In three seasons at the club he won nine trophies in total.

Speaking at the press conference today, Zidane said: “This is the right moment for everyone, it might seem a bit strange, but it had to be done for the good of everyone, the players, the club, and myself. This team must keep winning, and it needs a change after three years, another voice, another method of working.”

Speculation now turns to who will replace him at the club, with reports suggesting that his compatriot Arsene Wenger will take over in his first position after leaving Arsenal.