The former Morocco goalkeeper said he was on the verge of signing for the Spanish giants, but negotiations between Mallorca and Real Madrid broke down at the last minute.
“I received an offer from Real Madrid when John Toshack was in charge of the team, but things did not go as planned because of Mallorca’s president,” Zaki said in an interview with Al Mashhad TV.
He added that the Welsh coach later explained what had happened during those negotiations when the two worked together at Wydad Casablanca.
“Toshack spoke to me about it when he came to Wydad,” Zaki recalled.
Zaki, who now manages Jordan, said Real Madrid had made a serious and direct approach while Toshack was the club’s head coach. However, Mallorca’s president rejected the transfer outright, causing the deal to collapse.
