(Bloomberg) -- Real Madrid FC has re-appointed Zinedine Zidane as coach almost ten months after the Frenchman left the club.
Zidane, 46, who led the Madrid side to victory in the Champions League in the last three seasons, will replace Argentine Santiago Solari, who oversaw the team's surprise exit in the competition to Amsterdam-based AFC Ajax NV on Tuesday, the club said in a statement.
Zidane will begin immediately to finish off the current season and remain as coach for the next three through June 30, 2022, the club said.
Also a fan-favorite during his time as a Real Madrid player, Zidane had been replaced as manager by Julen Lopetegui after announcing his surprise decision to leave “Los Blancos” in May. But his successor left the club after a 5-1 thrashing to rivals FC Barcelona in October.
Real Madrid is currently 12 points behind the Catalonia-based club in Spain's top domestic division, La Liga.
--With assistance from Macarena Munoz and Rita Devlin Marier.
To contact the reporter on this story: Joe Easton in London at jeaston7@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Beth Mellor at bmellor@bloomberg.net, Nathan Crooks
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