Zidane says he quit Real Madrid because of club’s lack of ‘faith’
Zinedine Zidane resigned as Real Madrid coach because he felt the Spanish club no longer had any confidence in him, he wrote in an open letter on Monday. “I’m leaving because I feel the club no longer has the faith in me I need, and doesn’t offer me the support to build something in the medium or long term,” the Frenchman wrote in the letter published in the sports daily AS.
“I am a born winner and I was here to win trophies, but beyond this there are human beings, emotions, life and I have the feeling that these things have not been valued, that it has not been understood that this is also how the dynamic of a great club is maintained,” he said. “But everything I built on a daily basis, what I brought to the relationship with the players...has been forgotten. I’m leaving, but I’m not jumping ship and I’m not tired of coaching,” he added.
Real had a disappointing season, finishing second in La Liga behind neighbours Atletico Madrid and losing to eventual winners Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals. It was the first time that the 13-time European champions had failed to win a trophy in 11 seasons. It is the second time that Zidane has resigned as Real Madrid coach.
The 1998 World Cup winner first took the helm in January
MADRID:
On her training session with Rafael Nadal
ahead of the 2021 French Open 2016 and guided Real an unprecedented hat-trick of Champions League titles as well as a La Liga title in 2017, before abruptly quitting on May 31, 2018. Less than a year later he returned after Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari were sacked.
Barca to sign Aguero
BARCELONA: Sergio Aguero will join Barcelona on a two-year deal, the Spanish club said on Monday. Barcelona said Agüero will officially join the club beginning on July 1, after his contract with Man City expires. He will sign a contract until the end of the 2022-23 season with a buyout clause set at $122 million.
Barcelona missed a striker after they let go Luis Suarez, who eventually helped lead Atletico win La Liga. Lionel Messi still thrived as usual, finishing as the top scorer with 30 goals, but he got little help from Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembélé, Martin Braithwaite, Ansu Fati and Francisco Trincão.