World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane has been suspended from coaching for three months for taking charge of a team without the right qualifications.
The Spanish Football Federation has banned the former France midfielder for leading Real Madrid Castilla, the European champions' reserve side.
Zidane's assistant Santiago Sanchez has also received a three-month ban.
Real issued a statement declaring their "absolute disagreement" with the decision, which they intend to fight.
The club said 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's statement concluded: "Real Madrid will pursue every available legal avenue so that this decision is overturned."
Zidane was appointed reserve-team coach in the summer after working as assistant to Carlo Ancelotti last season, which ended with Real winning the Champions League.
The former France midfielder spent five seasons with Real as a player after joining from Juventus in 2001 for £45.8m, then a world-record fee.
He scored the winner as Real beat Bayer Leverkusen to win the Champions League in 2002, and was named World Footballer of the Year for a third time in 2003, having received the award in 1998 and 2000.
His playing career ended in controversy when he was sent off in the 2006 World Cup final - his last match before retiring - for headbutting Italy defender Marco Materazzi in the chest.
Zidane worked as an adviser to Real president Florentino Perez before he was appointed the club's sporting director in 2011.

The Franchise wrote:I dont understand this issue, like the root problem.

Even if lets say Zidane had zero coaching qualifications.

If Madrid want to hire him, why the hell not?

I've never understood this situation, not 10-12 years ago when I first remember hearing a similar complaint about a coach in England (cant remember who) and I dont understand now.

farfan wrote:i'm pretty sure i read somewhere that world cup winning players can coach without any specific license.

The Franchise wrote:I dont understand this issue, like the root problem.

Even if lets say Zidane had zero coaching qualifications.

If Madrid want to hire him, why the hell not?

I've never understood this situation, not 10-12 years ago when I first remember hearing a similar complaint about a coach in England (cant remember who) and I dont understand now.

Forza wrote:

The Franchise wrote:I dont understand this issue, like the root problem.

Even if lets say Zidane had zero coaching qualifications.

If Madrid want to hire him, why the hell not?

I've never understood this situation, not 10-12 years ago when I first remember hearing a similar complaint about a coach in England (cant remember who) and I dont understand now.

The reason administrators don't want unqualified people coaching is because it is assumed that qualified coaches are better than unqualified coaches and will lift the standard of football and the standard of professionalism in the league. It is good reasoning and I think even successful former footballers should have the minimum standard coaching license. Admittedly, for a club like Real Madrid the administrators should know that the club are always going to hire someone who is competent. However, the rule obviously dissuades smaller clubs from hiring unqualified, unprofessional staff.