Real Madrid have promised to “pursue every legal avenue” after Zinedine Zidane, now coach of their reserve team, was suspended for three months for not having the correct licence. Santiago Sánchez, who also coaches the team, received a similar punishment.
Zidane was sanctioned by the Spanish football federation for not having the level-three coaching certificate demanded of coaches in Spain and Sánchez for allowing Zidane to act as head coach of Real Madrid Castilla, who play in Spain’s third tier, while he nominally held the post.
In a statement on their website Real expressed their “absolute disagreement with the decision” and said they would “pursue every available legal avenue so that this decision is overturned – not least because Zinedine Zidane has been authorised by the French football federation (FFF) to work as a head coach in the category Real Madrid Castilla currently play in, as the certificate issued by the federation from 13 October 2014 states.” The club have 10 working days to register their appeal.
Zidane, who played for Real from 2001 until his retirement in 2006 and won the World Cup with France in 1998, when he scored two goals in the final against Brazil, is considered one of the greatest players of recent years. Castilla were relegated from the second division last season, before Zidane joined the coaching staff, and are currently 14th in Group Two of the regional Segunda B.
