Zinedine Zidane's Managerial Ban Rescinded Following Appeal

Real Madrid Castilla coach Zinedine Zidane has seen his three-month ban for not possessing the correct qualifications to manage the team quashed on appeal by the Administrative Court of Sport in Spain.

The lifting of the ban was confirmed officially by Los Blancos on their club website, which allows the former world-class player and his assistant, Santiago Sanchez, to return to their roles:

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Real Madrid C. F. communicates that the Administrative Court of Sport (TAD in Spanish) has considered the appeal presented by the club, which would allow the Real Madrid Castilla manager and assistant coach, Santiago Sanchez and Zinedine Zidane respectively, to carry out their professional activities.

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Spanish football writer Graham Hunter also confirmed the news via social media:

Paul White/Associated Press

Zidane served as Carlo Ancelotti's assistant last season when Madrid achieved their La Decima European Cup, with the club legend taking over the Galacticos' reserve team this season.

Madrid had previously said they were in "absolute disagreement" about Zidane's ban, per BBC Sport, and said they would fight to have the decision reversed—a battle they have now won.

The club were firm in their original stance of defending their coach, saying, per BBC Sport:

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[Zidane] has been authorised by the French Football Federation to work as a head coach in the category Real Madrid Castilla currently find themselves in. Real Madrid will pursue every available legal avenue so that this decision is overturned.

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Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

A complaint from Spain's football federation then led judge Francisco Rubio to decide Zidane should be suspended for three months.

Zidane does hold a UEFA A licence—equivalent in Spain to a Level 2 qualification—but this does not match the country's criteria to manage Madrid's reserve team, per Richard Arrowsmith of the Mail Online.

The 42-year-old had some strong words in his defence after the ban was activated when speaking to Le Figaro, as reported by Arrowsmith:

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I have no regrets about having taken my qualifications in France. It's still amazing that there are also so few people to defend me and explain that I did not have special privilege. I did not circumvent the difficulty—but some took the opportunity to spit on me.

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Zidane will be relieved he can now fully resume his career with the ban now overturned. It was viewed that Madrid had overlooked his qualifications to coach at the desired level of his role at the club, but that now seems was not the case.

The Castilla team is important to Los Blancos' development model, and Zidane will be hoping that success with them will see him one day promoted to first-team duties.