Madrid: Real Madrid appointed Manchester United assistant manager Carlos Queiroz as their new coach for two seasons, the Spanish champions announced on Wednesday.

The 53-year-old Portuguese coach will replace Vicente del Bosque who was sacked on Monday, the day after Real won their 29th league title.

Queiroz flew into Madrid on Wednesday and quickly reached an agreement with Real’s sporting director Jorge Valdano and club president Florentino Perez.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has said that he will allow Queiroz out of his two-year contract at Old Trafford. “This is a wonderful opportunity for him, too big a chance to turn down,” said Ferguson.

Queiroz said: “This year has been very fruitful and I’m very grateful to Sir Alex Ferguson. I don’t want to leave Manchester United on bad terms. The Madrid offer is like one of those trains which comes along once in your lifetime that you have to take.”

The Portuguese coach becomes the second signing from the English champions after Real paid 35 million euros for England captain David Beckham last week.

Queiroz was formerly coach of Portugal, Sporting Lisbon and South Africa. But having guided the Africans to the 2002 World Cup he quit before the finals and joined United last summer.