With the title race in La Liga hotter than ever, Zinedine Zidane's future at Real Madrid became the main topic of discussion among experts in Spain. Reports by Marca even hinted that Zizou had already told his players he would leave the club by the end of the season, which prompted the manager to tackle the subject and deny such claims after Sunday's game against Athletic.
Now, with the title up for grabs between Atlético and Los Blancos, the fate of the French boss is set to be sorted out on Monday, two days after La Liga comes to an end. According to Spanish newspaper As, the coach and Florentino Pérez will get together to decide what's next and if the coach's quest for greatness will continue at Real Madrid.
Those close to Real Madrid during the Florentino Pérez era know that the president does not like to keep a coach around if he does not win any titles in a season. According to As' report, the president is ready to bend that rule once and keep Zidane around even if they do not win La Liga next Saturday. Journalist Javier Herraez did not hold back when discussing the subject and hinted that Pérez still wants Zidane around.
"Real Madrid's objective is to maintain Zidane at the helm. Their meeting will also include every aspect of the team, from contract extensions, signings, budgets...That is their goal: to keep Zidane around. The club understands that Zidane should be the man sitting in their dugout next season," Herraez stated.
Nevertheless, Zidane's constant answers to questions about his future have left the window open for speculation. With that in mind, there are some within the club that believe Zizou will leave the club regardless of the result they get next Saturday.
"If Zidane has made up his mind, he is not going to change it just because Florentino talks to him about the upcoming changes. Even so, insiders at Real Madrid say that there is still a chance to see Zidane staying, and they believe that because Zidane may still have doubts regarding his future," the report by As adds.
Even if Zizou leaves, the coach will leave some large shoes to fill for whoever steps in. Two La Liga titles, three UEFA Champions League crowns, and many more accolades will be hard to forget by Real Madrid fans. Honestly, we cannot wait until Monday to see how Zidane's saga comes to an end.
