Real Madrid players do not believe Zinedine Zidane will continue beyond the current campaign as he is ready to quit this summer.
This week’s Champions League semi-final exit at the hands of Chelsea has brought Zidane’s future into the spotlight once more.
Madrid have four matches remaining in their La Liga campaign and if they secure victories in each of those games and league leaders Atletico Madrid drop points - they travel to Barcelona this weekend - then Los Blancos will retain the title.
A report on Goal.com claims that multiple dressing room heavyweights at Madrid now believe that the Frenchman will walk away from the club at the end of the current campaign.
It is claimed that whilst Zidane still enjoys training and coaching his players, he is exhausted of issues that are beyond his control and having to handle the ramifications of the pandemic.
The former star midfielder walked away from his position in the summer of 2018 after winning three successive Champions League titles in his two-and-a-half seasons at the helm but returned to the role nine months later.
Zidane guided Madrid to last year’s La Liga title in his first full season back at the club but this campaign has proved more difficult.
The Spanish champions signed no new players this season and have been beset by injury problems - there have been 57 different injuries since September and for several weeks had only 11 fit senior outfield players.
Zidane has a contract through to the summer of 2022 but the growing suspicion is that he will walk away this summer, with the weekly Covid testing and restrictions caused by the pandemic said to have taken a toll on his enthusiasm.
Former Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri and outgoing Germany coach Joachim Low may be on Madrid’s radar, while current Castilla boss Raul Gonzalez could be another option.
Zidane is said to have a desire to manage the France international team but Didier Deschamps remains under contract with Les Bleus until 2022.
