Real Madrid Confirm Benitez Sacking, Appoint Benitez

There was also the traumatic Clasico in November: Barcelona embarrassed Benitez’s Real 4-0 in Madrid.

Florentino Perez proudly declared “the impossible does not exist” for Zinedine Zidane as the Frenchman was last night named Real Madrid manager following the sacking of Rafael Benitez.

“I don’t know what to expect from Zidane”.

“It’s an important day for me”, Zidane told reporters on Monday after Perez announced his appointment, without specifying the length of his contract.

Zidane thanked Perez for giving the opportunity to train the “best club in the world with the best fan-base in the world”.

Club president Florentino Perez paid tribute to the 55-year-old former Liverpool boss as “an absolute professional and a wonderful person”.

He spent five years with the Italian club before attracting the attention of Madrid, where he played until retiring after the 2006 World Cup. “I will put my heart into it for this club and so everything goes fine.”. Madrid trails leader Atletico Madrid by four points and is two points behind defending champion Barcelona, which has a game in hand.

Zidane’s CV as a player is nearly unparalleled; A World Cup, a European Championship, a Ballon d’Or victor as well as a league and Champions League victor at Real Madrid.

Mateo Kovacic had been sent off midway through the second half in the Mestalla, but Benitez’s fought back to claim a 2-2 draw.

“Does it get any better than this??”, the former England captain, who played with Zidane at Real after joining from Manchester United in 2003, declared on Instagram.

And Calderon was criticial of Perez – suggesting the president had made an error in dismissing Carlo Ancelotti in favour of hiring Benitez in June.

“I wish Zidane all the best but it will be hard”.

Spanish media said however that Zidane has his work cut out because of his lack of experience.

While established stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos were said to have resented Benitez’ disciplinarian approach, Bale had no such concerns and was enjoying the more central role he was deployed in. REUTERS/ Juan Medina Real Madrid’s new coach Zinedine Zidane attends a training session in Valdebebas, outside Madrid, Spain, January 5, 2016.