MADRID — Real Madrid replaced one of Europe’s most experienced coaches with a largely untested one on Monday, firing the unpopular Rafael Benítez, who had spent only seven months on the job, and appointing Zinedine Zidane.
Zidane, a World Cup winner with France and a Champions League winner with Real Madrid, had most recently been in charge of Madrid’s second team. But Zidane, 43, has never coached in any of Europe’s top leagues. He started coaching Castilla, Real Madrid’s B team, in 2014, having spent a year on the first-team bench as an assistant to Carlo Ancelotti, the manager at the time.
Zidane, considered one of the best attacking midfielders ever, ended his playing career as one of Real Madrid’s so-called Galácticos, the world stars recruited by the club’s longstanding president, Florentino Pérez, for record-setting costs.
Real Madrid and Benítez, who joined the club in June on a three-year contract, had been under mounting pressure since November, after the team fell off the pace in the Liga standings and was crushed at home, 4-0, by its archrival, Barcelona, in the Clásico.
Rafael Benítez was fired after just half a season.
In that match, a large section of Real Madrid fans also called for the resignation of Pérez, but he vowed to continue at the helm and to retain Benítez, reiterating his trust in him as recently as three weeks ago.