Real´s ´Galactico´ president signs Pellegrini, Zidane

Florentino Perez, the inspiration behind the Real Madrid ‘Galacticos’, launched his second term as president on Monday by bringing in Chile’s Manuel Pellegrini as the club’s new coach and France legend Zinedine Zidane as a top advisor.

The club also announced former Argentine striker and coach Jorge Valdano as its new director general.

“Real Madrid C.F. and Manuel Pellegrini have reached a deal for the Chilean to become the first team head coach,” Real said in a statement.

It said he would be officially presented at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Tuesday.

He replaces Juande Ramos, who began a six-month contract in mid-December in place of Germany’s Bernd Schuster.

Pellegrini, 55, a qualified civil engineer, joined Villareal in 2004 from River Plate of Argentina and was under contract with the club until 2010.

In his first season there, Villareal qualified for the Champions League by finishing third in La Liga. Last season, they were second behind champions Real Madrid.

In a speech on taking office Monday, the 62-year-old Perez vowed to build “the best club of the 21st century.

“We will devote all our effort to building a spectacular team with great players who are role models on and off the pitch. A club where ethics are indestructible and where solidarity will be a basic cornerstone of behaviour,” he said.

The construction magnate is retaking the reins of Real, Spain’s historically most successful team and the world’s richest football club by revenues, for the next four years after standing unopposed in elections for president.

Real had been led on an interim basis by Vicente Boluda after Ramon Calderon stepped down in January following allegations that he rigged voting at the club’s last annual general assembly in December.

Perez led Real from 2000 to 2006, when it earned the nickname “Los Galacticos”, winning the Primera Liga twice and European Champions League with such stars as Zidane, Ronaldo, Luis Figo, David Beckham and Michael Owen.

Zidane’s transfer from Juventus in 2000 cost Real a world record 75 million euros.

The former France captain now becomes “adviser to the president” at Real.

Perez had promised to give both Zidane and Valdano senior positions at Real if his comeback bid was successful. Valdano had acted as Real’s sports director during his last term in office.

He has not mentioned any names regarding top signings but Spanish media speculate that Manchester United’s Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo, Liverpool’s Spanish star Xabi Alonso and AC Milan’s Brazilian playmaker Kaka are all in his sights for next season.

“We must recover the dreams, stability and lost time,” said Perez. “The road ahead will be difficult, but we have the passion and necessary ideas to overcome the great challenges of this complicated time.”

Perez had quit Real in 2006 after the club went a third straight season without a trophy, its worst run in more than half a century, but he has remained popular with supporters.

This season, the club’s arch-rivals Barcelona won a unique treble of league, Spanish Cup and Champions League trophies under debutante coach Pep Guardiola.

Real finished second in La Liga and exited the first knockout stage of the Champions League for the fifth straight season.

It ended the season on Sunday with a 2-1 loss to lowly Osasuna.