Goodbye, Zizou! Zidane Leaves Real Once Again

Goodbye, Zizou! Zidane Leaves Real Once Again

This year, it seems, football is just as unpredictable as a game of online pokies. Just when you expect the reels to stop at a winning combination, one of the symbols slips and you end up with nothing. And just as you prepare to leave, closing the JackpotCity app for the day, it makes it up to you with a big win.

The big win this year belonged to Villareal, beating the seemingly unstoppable Manchester United at penalties in the Europa League final, and Atlético Madrid, beating city rivals Real Madrid by one point on the final day of the Spanish La Liga. Unfortunately, this loss was bigger than Real expected: the team also lost its coach Zinedine Zidane – for the second time.

Zizou – a short history

Zinedine Zidane collected more accolades than most football players in the world – he won the first Division 1 Young Player of the Year in history, holds several records and is generally considered one of the best players ever to step on the turf. He played in 108 matches with the French national team, including three World Cups – one of them was perhaps the most controversial, as he won a Golden Ball for Player of the Tournament in 2006 for his performance in a match where he was sent off for headbutting an opposing player. During his 17-year career as a player, Zizou played in more than 500 league games and scored 95 goals, won countless national and international trophies. Upon his retirement, Real’s fans said goodbye to him (for the first time) with a huge “Thanks for the magic” banner.

We will always appreciate you. Thank you for everything, everyday, Zidane. pic.twitter.com/LFI6bNQ9nU

— Madrid Xtra. (@MadridXtra) June 1, 2021

The third goodbye

Zidane returned to Real Madrid as a coach in 2014, initially training the club’s second team, Real Madrid Castilla, then, after the dismissal of Rafa Benitez in 2016, the first team. This was his first time to lose the La Liga title by one point – truth to be told, he wasn’t with the team for the whole season. Still, he managed to grab the club’s 11th European Cup (La Undécima) in its history and led the team to the UEFA Champions League Final, that they won on penalties.

During his first term with the club, Zizou pushed the team into stardom with countless victories, titles, and awards – and after the team’s Champions League victory in 2017, he decided to say goodbye to Madrid for the second time, citing the club’s “need for a change”. 

With him, success also departed from Santiago Bernabéu – Real lost the league, along with being beaten at home by Ajax. Ultimately, he returned to Real – and so did success. This year, in turn, Real ended a disappointing season, losing out on the La Liga title by one point (again), and only reaching the Champions League semi finals. This wasn’t enough for Zizou who, after ending the season without a trophy, decided to step away from the team for a second time.

Goodbye, Zizou! It was fun while it lasted.

We hope you enjoyed the article ‘Goodbye, Zizou! Zidane Leaves Real Once Again.’ Do you think Zidane is Madrid’s most successful manager? Let us know!

Read more about football here:

• Euro 2021: Mason Greenwood out due to injury
• The Best Champions League Finals of All Time
• UEFA Champions League – 2021/22 group stages