Zinedine Zidane says he resigned as Real Madrid manager because he felt the club “no longer had faith” in him.
Zinedine Zidane has penned an open letter to Real Madrid fans explaining his departure from the club.
Zidane’s comments in an open letter published Monday in the Madrid-based newspaper AS were his first public words since he resigned last week following a two-season run in his second stint as coach.
“I’m leaving because I feel the club no longer has the faith in me I need, nor the support to build something in the medium or long term”
“I have now decided to leave and I want to properly explain the reasons. I’m going, but I’m not jumping overboard, nor am I tired of coaching,” Zidane wrote. “In May 2018 I left because after two and a half years, with so many victories and so many trophies, I felt the team needed a new approach to stay at the very highest level. Right now, things are different. I’m leaving because I feel the club no longer has the faith in me I need, nor the support to build something in the medium or long term,” he added.
“I understand football and I know the demands of a club like Real Madrid. I know when you don’t win, you have to leave”.
“I know the demands at a club like Madrid, I know that when you don’t win you have to go. But a very important thing has been forgotten here … I’m a born winner and I was here to win trophies, but beyond that are human beings, emotions, life, and I have the feeling that these things haven’t been valued.”
“That’s why it hurt me a lot when I read in the press, after a defeat, that they were going to sack me if I didn’t win the next game. It hurt me and the whole team because these messages, intentionally leaked to the media, created negative interference with the staff, they created doubts and misunderstandings.”
Zidane, 48, led Real Madrid to the 2017 La Liga title and three Champions League crowns from 2016-18. The World Cup-winning former France international resigned in May 2018.
He then returned in March 2019 and guided Real Madrid to another title in 2020, however the club served as a runner-up to rival Atletico Madrid this season.
Zidane previously spent five years with Real Madrid as a player.
The club has not yet appointed Zidane’s successor.
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