Real Madrid have confirmed Zinedine Zidane’s return to the club as head coach, replacing the sacked Santiago Solari.
The Frenchman, who left Real last season after leading the club to three consecutive Champions League titles, has signed a deal at the Bernabeu until June 2022.
Real’s board of directors met with Solari on Monday to sack the Argentine and bring Zidane back to the club.
A club statement read: “The board of directors of Real Madrid, meeting today, Monday, March 11, 2019, has decided to terminate the contract that linked Santiago Solari with the club as coach of the first team.
“Real Madrid appreciates the work done by Santiago Solari and the commitment and loyalty he has always shown to what is his home.
“The board of directors has also agreed the appointment of Zinedine Zidane as the new coach of Real Madrid with immediate incorporation for the remainder of the season and the next three, until June 30, 2022.”
Real saw their campaign fall apart in the space of a week with back-to-back losses in the Copa del Rey and La Liga, leaving them 12 points behind Barcelona.
A surprise 4-1 home defeat to Ajax in the Champions League followed, resulting in Real supporters staging a protest outside the Bernabeu in which they called for Solari’s sack.
Former president Ramon Calderon told Sky Sports last week Mourinho was the first choice to take over and was approached by the club , but Zidane has now been confirmed.
Zidane was first appointed Real Madrid manager in 2016 after a spell in charge of the B team, and he became the first coach to win the Champions League in three successive seasons.
He was already the only coach to have claimed back-to-back Champions League titles, but despite this he came under pressure for winning only one La Liga title during his two and a half years in charge of the club.
Zidane is set to take his first training session on Tuesday before managing his first match back against Celta Vigo on Saturday.
