Real Madrid have appointed Santiago Solari as their new permanent head coach on a contract that will run until June 30, 2021.
Solari was installed on an interim basis in October after Julen Lopetegui had been dismissed following a dismal run of five defeats in seven matches across all competitions.
Lopetegui was only in charge for a number of months after accepting the role at Madrid prior to the start of the World Cup, which cost him his job as manager of the Spanish national team after that now infamous row with the Spanish Football Federation.
Santiago Solari, @realmadrid first team head coach until June 30, 2021. pic.twitter.com/HfVsCbLo4A
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) November 13, 2018
Solari, however, stepped in after the dismissal of Lopetegui and the 42-year-old has enjoyed the perfect audition for the role, guiding Los Blancos to four successive wins, making him the first Madrid coach to start with such a run since Manuel Pellegrini in 2009.
Madrid made the announcement late on Tuesday night and it has brought to an end weeks of speculation about who would take up the role of permanent manager with both Roberto Martinez and Antonio Conte rumoured to have been options.
Solari, who was the manager of Real Madrid’s Castilla team prior to his promotion, follows a long line of managers to have made the step up with the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Vicente Del Bosque having done so successfully in the past.
