Tuesday cover: Rafa Benitez is shown the door at Real Madrid

The deposed Real Madrid manager Rafa Benitez is featured on The National sport front page on Tuesday, January 5, 2016 after the club parted ways with the Spaniard.

Benitez was fired after only seven months and replaced him with former player Zinedine Zidane.

Club president Florentino Perez announced the decision at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Monday, a day after Madrid’s 2-2 draw at Valencia deepened a crisis that started with an embarrassing 4-0 home loss to rival Barcelona in November.

Madrid won seven of nine matches since that demoralizing defeat but fans continued to demand the departure of Benitez, whose Liverpool side won the Uefa Champions League in 2005.

Reaction: Cautious approach from Rafa Benitez held back the stardust needed at Real Madrid, writes Ian Hawkey

Real Madrid is third in the Spanish league, four points behind leader Atletico Madrid and two behind Barcelona, which has a game in hand.

France soccer great Zidane, who was Carlo Ancelotti’s assistant in 2014 when Real Madrid won the Champions League, has been coaching Madrid’s “B” team in the third division.

Zidane was at the Bernabeu with his wife and four kids.

“I’m more emotional now than when I signed as a player,” said Zidane, who ended his career at Real Madrid in 2006.

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