Zinedine Zidane walked away from Real Madrid on Thursday, having led Los Blancos to three successive Champions League titles.
The 45-year-old made the shock announcement at a press conference with President Florentino Perez, who himself had only been informed of the Frenchman’s decision the previous day.
It came less than a week after the club won a 13th European Cup in Kiev, where they defeated Liverpool 3-1.
And according to Sport, Zidane only told one Madrid player in person that he would be departing, his captain, Sergio Ramos.
Instead, he informed the rest of the team of his exit via an emotional WhatsApp message.
In his message, Zidane reportedly told his players: “Thanks for everything. Without your support in the hardest moments, none of what we have achieved would have been possible.
“We’ll meet again soon, a hug.”
It’s claimed that all of his Madrid players responded, except one: Gareth Bale.