It might be the right moment for Zinedine Zidane to consider stepping back into management.
The 52-year-old French legend has not managed a team since he concluded his second tenure at Real Madrid in 2021.
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So far, Real Madrid is the only senior team he has managed, during which he won the Champions League three times and secured the La Liga title twice. ..Continue Reading
Since Zidane’s departure from the Bernabeu, Manchester United has changed managers three times – both interim and permanent. First, it was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, followed by Ralf Rangnick, and most recently, Erik ten Hag.
Fans, pundits, and bookmakers have frequently suggested Zidane for the United job, given his extensive experience both as a player and manager of a club as significant as Real Madrid. However, each time, Zidane has shown no interest.
Manchester United is not the only club to have shown interest. According to Spanish outlet Marca, United, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich have all approached him in recent years.
Yet, all four European giants have received the same response from Zidane: “No, thank you.”
It appears Zidane has been holding out for his ideal job: managing the French national team. Les Bleus have been led by his former teammate, Didier Deschamps, since 2012, becoming one of the world’s dominant teams.
Under Deschamps, France has won the World Cup, the Nations League, and reached the European Championship final.
However, Deschamps’ successful tenure is expected to end following the 2026 World Cup.
During an appearance on French TV channel TF1, Deschamps confirmed: “I’ve been here since 2012, I’m scheduled until 2026, the next World Cup, but it will stop there because it has to stop at some point.
“It could be [seen as] an announcement, even though I’m not here for that. I’ve done my time with the same desire, the same passion to keep the French team at the highest level, but 2026 is very good.
“To have been here already for as many years as I have, and to go until 2026, that will be 14 years so that will be a lot. We never want it to end when it’s a beautiful thing, but we also have to know how to say stop, there is a life after.
“I don’t know what it will be, but it will be very good too. Afterwards, the most important thing is that the French team remains at the top, as it has been for many years.”
Zidane is currently the leading candidate to assume the role in 18 months, though the French Football Federation has ample time to evaluate other options.
In a 2023 interview with GQ, Zidane acknowledged that it was ‘logical’ to consider managing his national team.
“I’ve often said that when you know the France team as a player and you become a coach, it’s just logical to think about it,” he explained. “But now is not the time. When I was in Cannes, I wanted to go to Bordeaux.
“Then I wanted to play at Juve and then Madrid because it was a different and stronger experience each time. We just call it ambition. I have always been ambitious and I have always believed in myself. I rush.”
