Zinedine Zidane: Left Real Madrid over lack of trust

Zinedine Zidane took aim at his former club Real Madrid and team president Florentino Perez in an open letter, refuting claims that he was tired of coaching and citing a lack of trust for his decision to resign as head coach.

Zidane's comments in an open letter published Monday in the Madrid-based newspaper Diario AS were his first public words since he resigned last week following a two-season run in his second stint as coach.

"I'm leaving, but I'm not abandoning ship and I'm not tired of coaching," Zidane wrote. "In May 2018 I left because after two-and-a-half years, with so many victories and so many trophies, I felt that the team needed something new to stay on top. Today things are different. I'm leaving because I feel the club is no longer giving me the trust I need, it isn't offering me the support to build something medium-to-long-term.

"I know the demands at a club like Madrid, I know that when you don't win you have to go. But a very important thing has been forgotten here ... I'm a born winner and I was here to win trophies, but beyond that are human beings, emotions, life, and I have the feeling that these things haven't been valued.

"That's why it hurt me a lot when I read in the press, after a defeat, that they were going to sack me if I didn't win the next game. It hurt me and the whole team because these messages, intentionally leaked to the media, created negative interference with the staff, they created doubts and misunderstandings."

Zidane, 48, led Real Madrid to the 2017 La Liga title and three Champions League crowns from 2016-18. The World Cup-winning former France international resigned in May 2018.

He then returned in March 2019 and guided Real Madrid to another title in 2020, however the club served as a runner-up to rival Atletico Madrid this season.

Zidane previously spent five years with Real Madrid as a player.

The club has not yet appointed Zidane's successor.