Zinedine Zidane will return to coaching in the near future, according to his eldest son Enzo.
The 46-year-old Frenchman stepped down as Real Madrid manager in the summer following a period of unprecedented success.
How did Zidane do as Real Madrid manager? Five things you need to know…
- Zinedine Zidane’s first coaching role came at Real Madrid Castilla in June 2014 after serving as Carlo Ancelotti’s assistant.
- Rafael Benitez was fired as Real’s first-team manager in January 2016, after which Zidane was promoted to the first-team role.
- He would subsequently preside over 149 matches in all competitions, winning 105 (70.5%).
- Zidane became the first manager in European Cup history to win three consecutive titles, while also lifting a La Liga title and Copa del Rey crown.
- After leaving Madrid last summer, Zidane is reportedly ready to get back into management.
Zidane stepping down in Madrid, coinciding with star player Cristiano Ronaldo leaving, came as a shock to many, though he would argue the club was ready for a new pair of hands.
Since departing, Zidane has been linked with a number of clubs, including Manchester United and Juventus, and if his son Enzo – currently playing for Rayo Majadahonda on loan from Lausanne – is to is to be believed then he’ll be back in the dugout soon.
“We all know that my father loves football and loves to coach,” he told Spanish newspaper AS.
“It’s most likely that he will return to coaching soon. Now he is resting because it’s something he needed. Even though managing Madrid is beautiful, it’s tough, with a lot of work.”
Where could Zidane turn up?
As mentioned there’s been no shortage of clubs Zidane has been linked with. His golden touch in Europe would most certainly entice some of Europe’s elite clubs.
Manchester United were recently linked as a potential future destination. The future of embattled manager Jose Mourinho remains up in the air despite penning a new contract earlier this year.
And Zidane was the “obvious” out-of-work manager that came to mind when former United defender Rio Ferdinand was discussing Mourinho’s future recently.
“Who’s the replacement?” Ferdinand said during BT Sport’s midweek Champions League coverage. “I don’t see Manchester United sacking Jose Mourinho without a ready-made replacement to step into that role. And I don’t think there is one out there.
“An idea of who you can get, who’s gettable now? Who’s not in a job now? Zinedine Zidane yes, he’s an obvious one. But I don’t know.”
Then again, Zidane’s agent previously suggested the World Cup winner might not want to manage in England.
In any case, the Red Devils’ uncertain future could force him to look elsewhere, and that final destination might very well be Juventus, where he served with distinction as a player in the late 1990s.
His departure, for a then world record fee, didn’t go down to well among the Bianconeri faithful albeit it allowed them to sign a number of key players including future Ballon d’Or recipient Pavel Nedved.
Massimiliano Allegri, who declined to follow Zidane into the Real hot seat, may already be looking for a new challenge, especially if he brings the coveted European Cup to Turin.
Zidane, still revered by the powers that be at Juve, was associated with an upper-management position at the club but could most likely be Allegri’s replacement.
Bayern Munich is another club touted. Current manager Niko Kovač is under immense pressure after a string of disappointing results which has seen the reigning German champions on the back foot in this season’s title race.
Another possibility is succeeding his former Juve and France teammate Didier Deschamps as the French national team boss, though it seems unlikely with Deschamps still riding on the goodwill afforded to him after winning Les Bleus their second world title in the summer.
Can you name the Real Madrid managers under Perez?
Zidane is one of 13 managers appointed by Florentino Pérez across his two spells as Real Madrid president. Can you name the other 12? Let us know how you got on in the comments below or via Twitter (@Squawka).
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