MADRID: Zinedine Zidane quit as Real Madrid coach on Thursday, less than a week after leading the Spanish giants to their third straight Champions League title, saying the club needed a change in command.

The 45-year-old Zidane, who was coach for two and half seasons, said he felt it was the right moment for him and for the team to make the move and admitting he was unsure of his ability to maintain his winning record at Real.

But he said that no other club was involved in his decision to part ways with Real and although experts have linked him to the French national team coaching job, Zidane insisted he is eyeing no other position at this time.

“I think it’s the moment, both for me, the team and the club [to step down]. It’s a strange moment to do so, I know, but an important one too. I had to do this for everyone,” he said.

The Frenchman clearly feels that after such a successful period at the Bernabeu the only way forward for the club to continue its success is via a change at the top.

“This side should carry on winning and needs a change for this. After three years it needs another voice, another method of work, for this I took this decision,” said Zidane

“The players need a change. I want to thank them because it’s they who fight on the pitch.

“This clubs history is huge, we always ask a lot of players, but there comes a moment when you think “What more can I ask of them, after what they’ve done for me? For this I think they need another discourse.”

Zidane became the first coach to win a third straight European Cup when Real beat Liverpool 3-1 on Saturday, capping a remarkable period in his first job in senior club management.

“I love this club a lot, the president, who gave me everything to play first at this great club. I’ll always be thankful. Today I need to change, for me, for everyone, for this I’ve taken the decision,” Zidane added.

“After three years, it’s my decision and perhaps I can get it wrong, but I think that after such time it is the moment.

“If I don’t see that I think we’re going to carry on winning, if I don’t see things as I want them to be, a moment arrives where you say it’s better to change.”

The Frenchman took over a divided dressing room after the sacking of Rafael Benitez in January, 2016 and immediately set about uniting the squad.

He claimed the first of his hat-trick of European triumphs two years ago when Real defeated local rivals Atletico Madrid on penalties in the final. A year later he led Real to their first European Cup and La Liga double in 59 years.

Real finished three points ahead of Barcelona as they won their first league title since 2012 before crushing Juventus 4-1 in the Champions League final to become the first side to win the competition in it’s current format in back-to-back seasons.

Zidane won nine major honours as Real coach and the 45-year-olds crowning glory came last Saturday as he joined an elite group of managers including Bob Paisley and Carlo Ancelotti by lifting the European Cup for the third time as coach.

“It was a completely unexpected decision,” Real president Florentino Perez said. “Today is a sad day for me, for the fans and for all the people who work at the club. I wish we could always have Zidane by our side, but we know that when Zizou makes a decision, the only thing we can do is to accept it and respect it.”

Real captain Sergio Ramos thanked Zidane for “two and a half incredible years”.

“Your legacy will never be erased, one of the most successful chapters in the history of our beloved Real Madrid,” he added in a Twitter message.

The club have not named a successor, however local media reports suggest Tottenham Hots­pur’s Mauricio Pochettino, who signed a new five-year contract with the London club last week, is their first choice to replace the Frenchman.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2018