Zinedine Zidane departs as Real Madrid boss

Zinedine Zidane has stepped down from his position as Real Madrid boss, just five days after leading them to a third straight Champions League victory, claiming the club needs "a different voice".

Zidane in a news conference on Thursday said;

Everything changes" and "that's why I took this decision.

Zidane leaves having guided the Spanish club to three successive Champions League titles and one La Liga success since taking over in January 2016.

I love this club, he added. What I think is that this team needs to continue winning but I think it needs a change, a different voice, another methodology.

This is the right moment for all involved - for me, for the squad, for the club.

Zidane, 45, took over after Rafael Benitez was sacked and was in charge for 149 games. He led Real Madrid to 104 wins and 29 draws, had a 69.8% win rate, and won nine trophies during his time as manager.

However, Real finished third in La Liga in 2017-18 - 17 points behind champions and fierce rivals Barcelona - while they were knocked out of the Copa del Rey at the quarter-final stage by Leganes.

Zidane's Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1 in the Champions League final on Saturday May, 26. The win saw him join Bob Paisley (three at Liverpool) and Carlo Ancelotti (AC Milan two, Real Madrid one) as the only managers to have won the Champions League/European Cup three times.

I had to do this for everyone, Zidane said.

His departure means Real Madrid will be looking for their fourth manager in five years.