And that is your lot from this special edition of Sportsday.

Rafael Benitez is gone and Zinedine Zidane is the man Real Madrid have turned to.

His first match will be against Deportivo La Coruna at the Bernabeu on Saturday.

Adios and buenas noches.

BBC Radio 5 Live

The European Football Show will have more reaction on today's turn of events at the Bernabeu.

You can listen live on Radio 5 live from 21:00 GMT.

Chris Sutton
Former Chelsea & Norwich striker on Radio 5 live

"What is going to change under Zidane? However good they are going forward, they have a problem going back. It is OK having an attack-minded manager. How are you going to make Ronaldo go back or Benzema do the dirty side of the game?"  

Samuel Pattison: Guardiola, Mourinho and now Benitez all looking for new jobs… exciting times!   

Dean Bunnell: Football isn't always about results. There were clearly some internal problems with Benitez and the board didn't like it.

Sammitwum: I pity Zinedine Zidane because it'll take just three losses and five draws for him to be sacked as well.

Saj Chowdhury
BBC Sport

Real overlooked one of their notable former managers in turning to Zidane.

Jose Mourinho guided the club to the league title in 2012 and - following his sacking by Chelsea last month - is available.

He has unfinished business at the Bernabeu having failed to win the Champions League - a prize coveted perhaps more than any other by Los Blancos.

Image source, Getty Images

But there were reports his relationship with forward Cristiano Ronaldo broke down during his last spell in charge, while he also had high-profile clashes with fan favourites Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas.

And following Mourinho's departure from Chelsea, Perez said there would be no imminent return to the Bernabeu for 'the special one'. 

Rafael Benitez may be loved in Liverpool and Valencia, but his reputation as a manager has diminished in his past two jobs - at Napoli and Real.

The Spaniard replaced Walter Mazzarri as Napoli boss in May 2013, and won the Coppa Italia in his first season in charge, but things soured in his second and final season.

Napoli failed to make the Champions League despite the big-money signings of Gonzalo Higuain, Jose Maria Callejon, Raul Albiol and Dries Mertens, with Benitez criticised for his rotation policy and stubborn adherence to a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Image source, Getty Images

Real lost just three of their 25 competitive matches under Benitez, but the club's supporters quickly tired of what they regarded as a sterile and unexciting style of play.

West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan said last month that Benitez was"two hours away" from being appointed Hammers boss before he took the Real job.

His trophy-laden CV map tempt other Premier League clubs to turn to a man whose family home is still on Merseyside.

BBC Radio 5 Live

AJ Vergette: Absolute madness! Rafa was doing fine! Team turned against him, Perez proved egos are bigger than the club.

Christian Evans: Appointing Zidane as manager is just as much of a gamble as Valencia with Neville; no managerial experience at this level.

Jonathan Frayman: For amount Real Madrid have spent they have achieved so little. President must take some blame. Benitez deserved more time.

Jane Johnson: Zidane is a legend and will have the respect of the Real Madrid players, with whom the real power lies. Grooming him for ages.

France and Newcastle midfielder Remy Cabella..

Image source, Remy Cabella

New York Times sports columnist Christopher Clarey is not convinced that Zinedine Zidane is set for a long reign at Real Madrid...

The official statement from Real Madrid does not give any reasons as to why Rafael Benitez was sacked, but says it was a "difficult decision".

You can read the full statement (in Spanish) here., external

Malcolm Jarrett: Benitez too defensive for Real Madrid. Liverpool were boring when he was there. Just got lucky winning the European Cup.

Jon Potter: Players definitely take some blame, behaviour of some appalling - not Rafa's fault Ancelotti was sacked. Chief culprit Perez.

Nicholas Taylor: Lose three games out of 25, four points off top, still in Champions League. Seems very harsh to sack Benitez.

Daniel Jones: Bring Rafa to the Cleveland Browns, we have a track record of mediocre managers!  

BBC Radio 5 Live

BBC Radio 5 Live

Zinedine Zidane has been coach of Real's B team - who are second in the Spanish third tier - since 2014. Prior to that he was an integral member of the backroom staff under then Real boss Carlo Ancelotti, who led the side to 'La Decima' - the club's 10th European Cup - in 2013-14.

During his playing career, the Frenchman was one of Real's key 'Galacticos' - a label given to the expensive players signed by club president Florentino Perez in the early to mid-2000s.

Real paid Juventus a then-world record fee of £45.8m in 2001 for the midfielder, who had already won the World Cup and European Championship.

Image source, AFP

At the Bernabeu he played alongside players such as Luis Figo, Raul and Ronaldo, and also featured in the same midfield as England captain David Beckham.

He helped the side win the Spanish league title in 2003 and won the Fifa World Player of the Year award for the third time that year.

But perhaps his defining moment came in the 2002 Champions League final, when he scored a stunning volley against Bayer Leverkusen at Hampden Park.

Steve Howes: Players never get the blame at RM. That's why they go through so many coaches.

Alex Powell: Perez is the problem, sacking Carlo Ancelotti was madness!

Mick Hogben: Champions League qualification. Check. Well in the mix for the title. Check. Sacked. Check. Football really is bonkers.

Image source, Getty Images

Zinedine Zidane briefly spoke at the news conference.

The French great spent five years as a player at the Bernabeu, winning the Champions League in 2002.

"I thank the club and the president for giving me the opportunity to train the club. It’s the best club in the world and the best fanbase.

"I want to do my very best to ensure the club has a trophy at the end of the season. Tomorrow is when the work starts.

"It’s an emotional day, even more emotional than the day I signed for the club."

BBC Radio 5 Live

You can hear reaction to the Real Madrid news conference on Radio 5 live now, with Burnley midfielder Joey Barton.

First at the news conference we heard from Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, who confirmed the sacking of Rafael Benitez.

"The board has taken a difficult decision - especially for me, to sack Rafael Benítez - a great professional and a magnificent person."

He then confirmed Zinedine Zidane would be taking over.

"I'm very proud because I know that for Zidane, the word 'impossible' doesn't exist."

This was the scene at the Bernabeu a short time ago as Zinedine Zidane was appointed head coach to replace Rafa Benitez...