Zinedine Zidane is set for a dramatic return to Real Madrid less than a year after leaving the club © AFP/File / GENYA SAVILOV
PARIS, France, March 11 – Zinedine Zidane has returned as Real Madrid boss, just over nine months after walking out on the club following a third consecutive Champions League triumph.
Here, AFP Sport takes a look at managers who returned to their former clubs:
Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid)
2016-18, 2019-
Zidane enjoyed a remarkable start to top level management after being appointed in 2016, steering the club for whom he starred as a player between 2001 and 2006 to an unprecedented three successive Champions Leagues.
He also guided Madrid to a league crown at the Bernabeu in 2017 but a year later the Frenchman quit just days after the club claimed a record-extending 13th European title. Now he returns to replace Santiago Solari, who was sacked after a disastrous week that saw Real knocked out of the Champions League and suffer league and cup defeats to Barcelona.
Jupp Heynckes (Bayern Munich)
1987-1991, 2009, 2011-2013, 2017-2018
Jupp Heynckes won the 2013 Champions League during his third spell in charge of Bayern Munich © AFP / GLYN KIRK
Heynckes has won four Bundesliga titles as Bayern coach — the first in 1989 and the most recent just last year.
He left for a third time after sealing an incredible 2013 treble of Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup titles, and returned to lead Bayern out of a crisis in 2017 when Carlo Ancelotti was sacked.
Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool)
1985-1991, 2011-2012
Dalglish returned in 2011, but saw captain Steven Gerrard sent off in his first game back in charge against Manchester United © AFP/File / PAUL ELLIS
‘King Kenny’ became manager for a second time at Anfield in 2011, two decades after an emotional resignation following the Hillsborough disaster brought the end to his first, trophy-laden stint.
Dalglish led the Reds to the 2012 League Cup, which remains their only trophy since 2006, but left at the end of the 2011-2012 season after a disappointing eighth-placed league finish.
Fabio Capello (Real Madrid)
1996-1997, 2006-2007
Capello lasted only one season both times he coached Real Madrid, but also won two La Liga titles © AFP/File / BRU GARCIA
Capello led Real to the Spanish title in his first season in charge, and signed key players such as Clarence Seedorf and Roberto Carlos, only to be sacked.
He returned to the Spanish capital 10 years later and helped Real end a four-year wait for a major title as he won La Liga in 2007, but was sacked again just weeks later.
Marcello Lippi (Juventus)
1994-1999, 2001-2004
Lippi led China at the Asian Cup this month © AFP / Khaled DESOUKI
Lippi won three Serie A titles and only the second Champions League crown in Juventus’ history in the 1990s, before leaving to join their great rivals Inter Milan.
But it did not take long for him to return after being sacked by Inter, as he replaced Carlo Ancelotti in Turin, going on to take Juve to another Champions League final in 2003, where they lost on penalties to AC Milan.
Matt Busby (Manchester United)
1945-1969, 1970-71
Matt Busby survived the 1958 Munich air disaster that wiped out his ‘Busby Babes’ © AFP/File / PAUL ELLIS
Busby was one of the game’s greatest ever managers, having survived the tragic Munich air disaster in 1958 that decimated his much-loved ‘Busby Babes’ side to help United become the first English winners of the European Cup 10 years later.
He retired the following season, but briefly returned to the Old Trafford dugout after the sacking of Wilf McGuinness.
Jose Mourinho (Chelsea)
2004-2007, 2013-2015
Mourinho was sacked for a second time as Chelsea manager in 2015 © AFP/File / IAN KINGTON
Mourinho won major titles in all three seasons of his first spell at Chelsea, and returned in 2013 amid great fanfare, declaring himself “the happy one”.
He won the Premier League title in his second season back, but was sacked a second time after a catastrophic start to the Blues’ title defence in 2015.
Leonardo Jardim (Monaco)
2014-2018, 2019-
Jardim was sacked as Monaco coach just three months ago, but has already returned to the Stade Louis II © AFP/File / PASCAL PAVANI
Jardim led Monaco to the 2017 French title and despite losing a host of key players, took his side to second place last season. He was then dumped and replaced by Thierry Henry after a dreadful start to the current campaign.
However he returned just three months later to replace Henry, who was sacked in January after a dreadful run of results.
Claudio Ranieri (Roma)
2009-2011, 2019-
New Roma boss Claudio Ranieri took Roma to within two points of the Serie A title in his first spell at the Stadio Olimpico © AFP / CHRISTOPHE SIMON
Feted for his 2016 Premier League title win with Leicester City, on Friday Claudio Ranieri returned to his hometown team Roma, where in 2010 he almost pipped Jose Mourinho’s treble-winning Inter to the Serie A title.
Trophy-starved Roma were top of the league at half-time on the final day of the season but fell short after Inter won at Siena, before losing the Coppa Italia final to Mourinho’s outfit. He resigned in February the following year amid a poor run of results.
