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Events on Monday 4 January 2016 1
2016Appointed Real Madrid first-team head coachZidane replaces Rafa BenítezOn 4 January 2016, Real Madrid appointed Zidane as head coach of the first team, replacing the dismissed Rafa Benítez. The appointment was seen as a bold gamble given his lack of senior managerial experience, but Zidane quickly stabilized a fractured dressing room built around Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, and the club's "BBC" attacking trio. His man-management and stature as a club legend proved decisive in the seasons that followed.