Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos reportedly stepped in to stop Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte from getting the managerial job at the Bernabeu.
Los Blancos announced at the start of the week that Santiago Solari, their second manager of the season, had been sacked and replaced by Zinedine Zidane.
The Frenchman's reappointment came as some surprise, though, having only walked out on the club 10 months earlier.
Another former Real boss in Mourinho was strongly mentioned as a possible target for president Florentino Perez, while out-of-work boss Conte was also in the frame.
According to Don Balon, one of those two men would have got the top job if it was not for Ramos, who vetoed Perez's decision.
Ramos felt that appointing Zidane, the winner of three Champions Leagues in three seasons during his first spell in charge, would lead to less dressing-room disruption, and he also voiced concerns about Mourinho and Conte's managerial styles.
The Spanish centre-back is also said to have given his backing for Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri to get the job.
Daniel Lewis
