Zinedine Zidane steps down as Real Madrid coach after trophyless season

Zinedine Zidane is stepping down as Real Madrid coach, again. The club said on Thursday the Frenchman is leaving his job, four days after a season in which Madrid failed to win a title for the first time in more than a decade. “Zidane is one of the great myths of Real Madrid and his legend goes beyond what he has been as a coach and player of our club,” Madrid said in a statement. Zidane had a contract through June 2022. Zidane left the club for the first time after leading Madrid to one of its most successful runs from 2016-2018, with three consecutive Champions League titles. In his two years and five months in charge, Madrid won a total of nine trophies, including two Club World Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, one Spanish league and one Spanish Super Cup. He only won the league title once and a Spanish Super Cup in his second stint. He quit the first time less than a week after leading the team to its third straight Champions League title, saying it was time for a change and that he didn’t see it clearly that the club would keep winning with him in charge. Zidane had been dismissing talks about his future recently, saying that he would discuss it with the club. He said he believed that Madrid could do well without him as coach.