Benitez fired as Real Madrid coach, replaced by Zidane

Rafa Benitez has been sacked after just six months as Real Madrid manager, with the club appointing Zinedine Zidane as his replacement.

Jose Mourinho will take over as Real Madrid boss should newly appointed manager Zinedine Zidane fail to turn the club around this season, former president Ramon Calderon has said.

“I also want to announce that the Board of Directors of Real Madrid has chose to appoint as the new coach of the first team to Zinedine Zidane”.

Benitez’s position came under particular scrutiny in November when Madrid suffered back-to-back defeats against Sevilla and Barcelona, the latter a 4-0 humbling at home to their greatest rivals.

“It’s a very important day for me and I promise to give everything for this club”, said the 43-year-old former France team captain.

“Real Madrid is the best club in the world with the best fan base in the world and I will do my best to make sure we end the season with a trophy”.

Benitez replaced Carlo Ancelotti in June, signing a three-year contact with his home-town club, but he has lasted only 25 competitive games.

However it quickly became clear that his reputation as a detail-obsessed and excessively defensive tactician, whether deserved or not, did not sit well with the Real fans.

Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez did not waste time making the announcement at Monday evening’s press conference at the Bernanbeu. What we must do now is try and do the most possible so that this team wins something at the end of the season.

Zidane leaves Real Madrid Castilla in second place in the third division, with 37 points from 19 games.

Perez is yet to explain why the board of directors took the “difficult” decision to dismiss Benitez, who once coached the club’s youth teams. However, they have been thrown out of the Copa del Rey for fielding an ineligible player – suspended winger Denis Cheryshev – in the 3-1 fourth round victory at Cadiz, with an appeal having been rejected.

Time will tell whether Zidane’s unmatched playing career and ties to Real Madrid will help him survive on hottest of hot seats.

The Frenchman, who is a three-time FIFA World Player of the Year, made 225 appearances for Los Blancos, winning one league title and the Champions League during his five-year stint as a “Galactico”.