Football manager and former superstar player, Zinedine Zidane has reportedly departed as the boss of Real Madrid’s squad for a second time. Football journalist Fabrizio Romano broke the ‘exclusive’ news, which will imminently be confirmed by official sources on Thursday.
His exit comes in days after the Los Blancos were bettered by neighbours Atletico Madrid, to win the La Liga title this year. After leading his team to multiple honours during his two terms in charge, Zidane walks away from one of the highest-paying managerial jobs in the business.
Quoting media reports, Zizou’s basic annual salary at the Santiago Bernabeu was €12 million, roughly Rs 105 crore. He was contracted with the club till 2022, and might be forgoing extension bonuses in the process of the current termination.
Endorsements
Zidane’s net worth is estimated to be around $125 million (Rs 9,000 cr approx.), according to financial stats portal Wealthy Genius. He has endorsed brands like Adidas and Orange, and also has an India connection through being the brand ambassador of the Kanakia Group. He even visited the country in 2016 to promote the real estate conglomerate.
The former French footballer was also appointed as a goodwill ambassador for the United National Development Programme, in 2001. Coming from a humble background, Zidane helps promote UNDP’s target of eradicating hunger and poverty.
He has also participated in charity matches for causes, like combating the crisis in the Horn of Africa, and to raise funds for the Ebola-affected countries like Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Playing career
The son of immigrants, a 14-year-old Zidane started his football career in Cannes. By the age of 17, he had earned a reputation of promise and was consequently signed by Bordeaux, where he scored 10 goals in his debut season, helping the club to reach the 1995-96 UEFA Cup final.
In 1996, Juventus gave him the platform to become a global superstar. Zidane’s time in Italy saw him collect two Serie A medals, two Champions League runner-up medals and his first World Player of the Year award. His stock piled up further when Real Madrid paid almost $65 million to make him the world’s most expensive footballer in 2001.
Contrary to his humble persona, Zidane seamlessly fitted into his new surroundings in the Spanish capital, home to a culture of flamboyance. Part of the first era of the galacticos, he scored a famous volley in Glasgow to earn Real Madrid the Champions League trophy in 2002.
With a classy midfield anchor man in Claude Makelele, the services of Luis Figo and David Beckham in midfield, and Brazil’s Ronaldo getting the better of opposition goalkeepers, this was one of the most attractive teams to watch. Despite this collection of superstars though, this Madrid side only won one league title, but Zidane did pick up his third World Player award after a spectacular 2003.
His achievements with the French national team include the 1998 World Cup win on home soil and the 2000 Euro Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium. But he is often remembered for the infamous incident in the 2006 World Cup final against Italy, in Munich. He was red-carded after headbutting Marco Materazzi in the chest, following an ugly exchange of words. Italy eventually won the final on penalties.
Managerial career
After retiring as a player, Zidane took on coaching responsibilities. He started his career with the Real Madrid Castilla in the lower divisions of Spanish football. After two years in that position, he was hired by the first team in 2016.
After taking charge in January that year, he guided Real to the 2017 La Liga title, and an unprecedented hat-trick of Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018. He abruptly departed in May 2018, only to return nine months later, on a bumper contract.
He won his second La Liga crown with the Los Blancos in 2020, and also his first Spanish Super Cup. He ended his second term with the club after finishing the 2020-21 season without a trophy.
Images: Instagram/@zidane
