Rafael Benitez had reportedly not been informed of his dismissal as Real Madrid manager when he heard of Zinedine Zidane's appointment.

The former Liverpool boss was sacked by the Spanish giants on Monday night despite the team being just four points off the top spot in La Liga.

Club president Florentino Perez announced the news in a press conference yesterday evening before promptly unveiling Zidane as the new manager.

According to Marca, Benitez was invited to attend the Bernabeu on Monday afternoon but he was told that a decision had not yet been made about his future.

The report adds that the Spaniard chose not to go to the stadium in order to avoid paparazzi, but later heard that Zidane's family were at the ground, indicating that the former France international was going to replace him.

Reports have claimed that Benitez was surprised, but not shocked by the club's decision to part company with him.