The Sports Lowdown For All Your News and OpinionsLa Liga giants Real Madrid have sacked manager Rafael Benitez and replaced him with former player Zinedine Zidane.
The Spanish side are going through a patch of unsettlement regarding managers with Benitez being relieved of his duties after no more than seven months in charge.
When Carlo Ancelotti was sacked in the summer Benitez wasn’t a popular candidate for a replacement but he was appointed nonetheless in what seemed a rushed decision. This gave the impression the Spaniard would be given time at Madrid to take them back to their best.
The decision to part company with Benitez came after Madrid’s 2-2 draw with Gary Neville’s Valencia at the weekend. They currently sit 3rd in La Liga, just four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid although Barcelona have a game in hand.
Benitez’s record at the club is a respectable one; out of the 25 games he has managed Madrid he has a win percentage of 68% and has lost just three times. The standard of results at a team like Madrid is extremely high however and the 55-year-old hasn’t managed to convince the club’s board.
The competence of Zidane is debateable as he hasn’t managed at any top level, let alone to the benchmark of Real Madrid. His only managerial experience comes from being an assistant at Madrid and the manager of the B team.
He was a huge player for the club during his playing career; Madrid paid Juventus a record-breaking £45.8 million for Zidane.
The Frenchman had already won the World Cup and the European Championship when he signed for Madrid and he will look to take the club back to the top. He will attempt to replicate the passion and desire he showed on the Bernabeu pitch from the touchline.
It is a risky move from Madrid to appoint Zidane but given his status as one of the club’s legends he will surely be given more time to correct things.
