Real Madrid have sacked Santiago Solari and reappointed Zinedine Zidane after club held emergency board meeting on Monday.
Solari was rumoured to have been sacked on Saturday after the Argentine appeared at a pre-match press conference over an hour late, but he was afforded his last hurrah on Sunday when Los Blancos ran out 4-1 winners against Real Valladolid.
Zidane, who resigned at the end of last season following Real’s third successive Champions League win, will once again take the hot seat in the capital after the club endured a disastrous season under Lopetegui and Solari.
The Frenchman has been enjoying a sabbatical from football management following three highly successful seasons with Los Blancos, but he has been consistently linked with a return to the game, initially with Man Utd following Jose Mourinho’s dismissal in December.
However, the 46-year-old has now made a dramatic return to his old stomping ground, taking up the reins just 10 months after parting company with the club.
A statement on the club’s official website 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 and, at the same time, Real Madrid has offered to continue belonging to the club.
“Real Madrid appreciates the work done by Santiago Solari and the commitment and loyalty he has always shown to this house.
“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.
“The president of Real Madrid will appear today with Zinedine Zidane before the media at 8:00 pm in the press room of the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.”
