Zinédine Zidane has announced that he is stepping aside as coach of Real Madrid a matter of days after steering the club to an unprecedented third successive UEFA Champions League success.
I think it’s the moment, both for me, the team and the club to step down, he said at an impromptu press conference at the club’s training ground. It’s a strange moment to do so, I know, but an important one too. I had to do this for everyone.
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Zidane’s place among the greats
Hired in January 2016 following a spell in charge of Real Madrid’s B-team. Zidane became the first coach to win the European Cup in three successive seasons as Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1 in this season’s UEFA Champions League final in Kyiv, and joined Carlo Ancelotti as the only coach to have won the competition three times in the UEFA Champions League era.
Before his latest victory, the 45-year-old was already the only coach to have claimed back-to-back UEFA Champions League titles – and the first to have won consecutive editions of Europe’s top club competition since Arrigo Sacchi doubled up with AC Milan in 1989 and 1990.
Most UEFA Champions League final wins
3= Carlo Ancelotti (AC Milan 2003, 2007, Real Madrid 2014)
3= Zinédine Zidane (Real Madrid 2016, 2017, 2018)
Bob Paisley also won three European Cups, in 1977, 1978 and 1981.
Most successive UEFA Champions League final wins
3= Zinédine Zidane (Real Madrid 2016, 2017, 2018)
Most successive European Cup final wins
3= Zinédine Zidane (Real Madrid 2016, 2017, 2018)
2= Luis Carniglia (Real Madrid 1958, 1959)
2= Brian Clough (Nottingham Forest 1979, 1980)
2= Béla Guttman (Benfica 1961, 1962)
2= Helenio Herrera (Inter Milan 1964, 1965)
2= Ștefan Kovács (Ajax 1972, 1973)
2= Dettmar Kramer (Bayern München 1975, 1976)
2= Bob Paisley (Liverpool 1977, 1978)
2= Arrigo Sacchi (AC Milan 1989, 1990)
2= José Villalonga (Real Madrid 1956, 1957)
European win ratio
Of the coaches that have a comparable level of European experience, only Jupp Heynckes (by the narrowest of margins) can better Zidane’s 69% win ratio in European competition (24 wins in 35 UEFA club competition games). By comparison, Josep Guardiola – perhaps the most lauded coach of his generation – has won only 60% of his 106 games as boss of Barcelona, Bayern München and Manchester City.
Overall record at Madrid
Played: 149
Wins: 104
Draws: 29
Defeats: 16
Win percentage: 69.79%
Reporter’s view: Joe Walker, Madrid
What a ride it has been; when Zidane took over Madrid were lacking direction. If you’d have said to me the day he took charge in January 2016 that he would go on to win three consecutive UEFA Champions League crowns, I would not have believed you.
Yet, despite this being his first senior job in management, the 45-year-old has had unprecedented success. He has shown himself to be a canny operator and a wily tactician, possessing skills that many coaches need decades to acquire. He has shown he is flexible, able to maintain harmony and, above all, that he is a winner. Chapeau et bonne chance, Zizou.
