Football
ESPN 5y

Zidane leaves preseason for 'personal reasons'

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has left the club's preseason training camp in Montreal due to personal reasons.

The 13-time European champions are in Canada as they prepare for their opening International Champions Cup match against Bayern Munich, which will take place in Houston on Saturday July 20.

- When does the 2019-20 La Liga season start?

"Our manager, Zinedine Zidane, will leave the preseason training camp in Montreal for personal reasons," a club statement read. "Until his return, the sessions will be taken by his assistant, David Bettoni."

On Saturday, Real Madrid issued another statement.

It read: "All members of the Real Madrid first-team squad held a minute's silence ahead of training in Montreal following the passing of Farid Zidane, the brother of our coach, Zinedine Zidane."

Zidane returned to the Spanish capital in March following the sacking of Santiago Solari, as the club's third manager in a troubled campaign, which saw them fail to challenge in the league, Champions League and Copa del Rey.

And, following a busy summer which has seen the club sign Eder Militao, Rodrygo, Luka Jovic, Eden Hazard and Ferland Mendy, Madrid will be expecting to pose a much stronger challenge next season.

Three days after their clash with Bayern, Madrid travel to Maryland to face Arsenal before ending with a clash against Atletico Madrid on July 26 in New Jersey.

Madrid begin their domestic season on August 17 with a trip to Celta Vigo.

^ Back to Top ^