Zinedine Zidane did not announce that he is leaving Real Madrid right after the end of the season. He is set to meet Florentino Perez Wednesday to clarify his future. Despite the delay, there should not be any surprises, and the two are expected to part ways. Massimiliano Allegri is ready to take over and has already agreed to a two-year contract, La Gazzetta dello Sport reports.
Two months ago, the president reportedly confessed to having already locked up an excellent coach. The former Juventus boss is set to beat out the competition coming from Raul, who will continue to helm the Castilla and will eventually end up on the first-team bench, but not at this time.
Allegri is poised to be the third Italian manager in the Merengues history after Fabio Capello and Carlo Ancelotti. He was contacted by Perez three years ago, but he turned down the proposal. He later explained: “More than saying no to Real Madrid, I said yes to Juventus. I had already committed to them, and I did not want to take my word back.”
Napoli and Juventus would be the alternative landing spots for the five-time Scudetto-winning gaffer in case of an unexpected turn of events. The Partenopei president Aurelio De Laurentiis confirmed after the disappointing draw with Verona that Gennaro Gattuso will leave at the end of his expiring contract. He made a strong offer to Allegri, but the coach has given his clear priority to Real Madrid, Il Mattino and Sky Sport reports. Moreover, missing out on Champions League makes the bid lose appeal.