Real Madrid have sacked Rafa Benitez after holding a crucial meeting – seven months after he took charge of the club.
Spaniard Benitez, 55, was relieved of his duties following a meeting of the club’s board on Monday.
Real B team coach Zidane, 43, has been promoted to first-team boss.
The Frenchman, a former Real player and World Cup winner, said: “I am going to put my heart and soul into this job so that everything works out well.”
Benitez’s final game was Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Valencia, which left them third in La Liga, four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid.
Zidane is the 11th coach to be appointed in Florentino Perez’s 12 years as club president across two spells. The length of his contract has not been made public.
His first match in charge will be Saturday’s home La Liga game against Deportivo la Coruna.
Former Valencia, Liverpool and Napoli boss Benitez has endured a difficult return to the Bernabeu, where he began his playing career with the reserve teams and later held several coaching roles.
He was named Carlo Ancelotti’s replacement in June but there was speculation from the outset that several senior players did not welcome the appointment.
The former Chelsea interim manager came under more serious pressure with the 4-0 home defeat to Barcelona in the Clasico on Nov. 21, while the club’s expulsion from the Copa del Rey after fielding an ineligible player has done little to calm tensions.
He has lost three of his 18 La Liga games in charge.
