Shock as Real coach Zidane quits
Print Edition
Zinedine Zidane quit as Real Madrid coach yesterday, less than a week after leading it to its third straight UEFA Champions League title, saying the club needed a change in command.
The 45-year-old Zidane, who was coach for two and half seasons, said he felt it was the right moment 鈥 for him and for the team 鈥 to make the move.
鈥淭his club needs a change to keep winning,鈥 Zidane said. 鈥淲ith me it would have been complicated to keep winning.鈥
It was a surprising announcement by Zidane, who won nine titles as Real coach 鈥 three UCL titles, one Spanish league title, one Spanish Super Cup, two UEFA Super Cups and two Club World Cups.
鈥淚t was a completely unexpected decision,鈥 Real president Florentino Perez said. 鈥淭oday is a sad day for me, for the fans and for all the people who work at the club. I wish we could always have Zidane by our side, but we know that when Zizou makes a decision, the only thing we can do is to accept it and respect it.鈥
Zidane said there wasn鈥檛 a specific reason that led him to his decision. 鈥淵ou have to know when to quit. After three years, (the club) needs a change in speech, a new work methodology.鈥
Zidane mentioned the struggles the team faced this season, including in the Spanish league and the Copa del Rey. Real finished third in the league 鈥 17 points behind champion Barcelona 鈥 and was ousted at home by Leganes in the quarterfinals of the Copa, a moment which Zidane said was the worst of his coaching career with the club.
鈥淲e went through good moments but also complicated ones, and I don鈥檛 forget them,鈥 Zidane said. 鈥淚 want to leave when everything is going well. This is a good moment to end it well.鈥
He spoke little about his future but said he鈥檚 not immediately looking to coach another club. Perez also didn鈥檛 talk much about the search for a new coach.
Zidane鈥檚 decision to quit came after Cristiano Ronaldo hinted he could be leaving the club. The star forward said after the UCL final against Liverpool in Kiev that 鈥渋t was very beautiful鈥 to have played with Real.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
