Zinedine Zidane has been considering his possible departure for a long time, despite having a contract in place until the summer of 2022, according to Diario AS. The Frenchman has been disenchanted since January, irritated by the criticism laid at his door by the press and the list of candidates to replace him that emerged from the club.
A key moment was the ten days Zidane spent isolating after testing positive for covid-19, returning for a clash with Huesca full of fire and determined to see out the season. Things improved; Real Madrid knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League, drew at Atletico Madrid and beat Barcelona. Things took a turn, however, in the semi-final of the former, where they were comprehensively dismantled by Chelsea over two legs.
Three players close to Zidane; Sergio Ramos, Ferland Mendy and Eden Hazard; all started despite being low on fitness and came under heavy fire post-game after they were torn to shreds by a Chelsea team living on a different level. That was the final straw for Zidane; he didn’t feel supported by the club and took his decision.