Zinedine Zidane, Matt Busby and others who returned to manage their former clubs - in pictures

These managers all returned to clubs they had previously managed, with varying degrees of success

Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid) 2016-18, 2019- Zidane enjoyed a remarkable start to top level management after being appointed in 2016, steering the club for whom he starred as a player between 2001 and 2006 to an unprecedented three successive Champions Leagues. He also guided Madrid to a league crown in 2017 but a year later the Frenchman quit just days after the club claimed a record-extending 13th European title. Now he returns to replace Santiago Solari, who was sacked after a disastrous week that saw Real knocked out of the Champions League and suffer league and cup defeats to Barcelona. Getty Images

Jupp Heynckes (Bayern Munich) 1987-1991, 2009, 2011-2013, 2017-2018 Heynckes has won four Bundesliga titles as Bayern coach -- the first in 1989 and the most recent just last year. He left for a third time after sealing an incredible 2013 treble of Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup titles, and returned to lead Bayern out of a crisis in 2017 when Carlo Ancelotti was sacked. Getty Images

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) 1985-1991, 2011-2012 'King Kenny' became manager for a second time at Anfield in 2011, two decades after an emotional resignation following the Hillsborough disaster brought the end to his first, trophy-laden stint. Dalglish led the Reds to the 2012 League Cup, which remains their only trophy since 2006, but left at the end of the 2011-2012 season after a disappointing eighth-placed league finish. Getty Images

Fabio Capello (Real Madrid) 1996-1997, 2006-2007 Capello led Real to the Spanish title in his first season in charge, and signed key players such as Clarence Seedorf and Roberto Carlos, only to be sacked. He returned to the Spanish capital 10 years later and helped Real end a four-year wait for a major title as he won La Liga in 2007, but was sacked again just weeks later. Getty Images

Marcello Lippi (Juventus) 1994-1999, 2001-2004 Lippi won three Serie A titles and only the second Champions League crown in Juventus' history in the 1990s, before leaving to join their great rivals Inter Milan. But it did not take long for him to return after being sacked by Inter, as he replaced Carlo Ancelotti in Turin, going on to take Juve to another Champions League final in 2003, where they lost on penalties to AC Milan. Getty Images

Matt Busby (Manchester United) 1945-1969, 1970-71 Busby was one of the game's greatest ever managers, having survived the tragic Munich air disaster in 1958 that decimated his much-loved 'Busby Babes' side to help United become the first English winners of the European Cup 10 years later. He retired the following season, but briefly returned to the Old Trafford dugout after the sacking of Wilf McGuinness. Getty Images

Jose Mourinho (Chelsea) 2004-2007, 2013-2015 Mourinho won major titles in all three seasons of his first spell at Chelsea, and returned in 2013 amid great fanfare, declaring himself "the happy one". He won the Premier League title in his second season back, but was sacked a second time after a catastrophic start to the Blues' title defence in 2015. Getty Images

Leonardo Jardim (Monaco) 2014-2018, 2019- Jardim led Monaco to the 2017 French title and despite losing a host of key players, took his side to second place last season. He was then dumped and replaced by Thierry Henry after a dreadful start to the current campaign. However he returned just three months later to replace Henry, who was sacked in January after a poor run of results. Getty Images

Claudio Ranieri (Roma) 2009-2011, 2019- Feted for his 2016 Premier League title win with Leicester City, on Friday Claudio Ranieri returned to his hometown team Roma, where in 2010 he almost pipped Jose Mourinho's treble-winning Inter to the Serie A title. Trophy-starved Roma were top of the league at half-time on the final day of the season but fell short after Inter won at Siena, before losing the Coppa Italia final to Mourinho's outfit. He resigned in February the following year amid a poor run of results. Getty Images

They say you should never go back. But in football management, sometimes it's best to go with what you know.

Monday's announcement that Zinedine Zidane has agreed to become Real Madrid manager for a second time less than 12 months after stepping down came as something of a shock.

The Frenchman guided the Spanish giants to a historic three successive Champions League titles before relinquishing his post on May 31, 2018. But with the club parting ways with Santiago Solari, who only succeeded Julen Lopetegui, Zidane's replacement, in December, following a shocking run of results that included back-to-back defeats to Barcelona and a humiliating Champions League exit to Ajax last week, Zidane answered Madrid's call.

He is certainly not the first to defy the "never go back" theory. Indeed he isn't even the first ex-Madrid manager to do so. Here is a look at others who have returned to their former flames with varying degrees of success.

Scroll left/right on the gallery above.