Zinedine Zidane has reportedly agreed to a managerial role after long-term speculation over his move to Manchester United

Zinedine Zidane’s reported agreement to become France’s manager after the World Cup will finally put an end to rumours about his potential appointment at Manchester United. This week, reports emerged claiming Zidane has verbally agreed to take over the France national team following this summer’s World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

His former international team-mate, Didier Deschamps, currently holds the reins, but his contract is due to expire after the tournament. Deschamps, 57, has led Les Bleus since 2012, taking them to back-to-back World Cup finals and glory in 2018.

Yet, in recent years, there has been a growing belief that Zidane is biding his time to step in once Deschamps departs. The 53-year-old has been out of management since leaving Real Madrid for the second time in 2021.

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The former Ballon d’Or winner’s remarkable first stint at the Santiago Bernabeu from 2016 to 2018 saw him win nine trophies, including three successive Champions League titles. Those managerial feats haven’t been forgotten during his five-year absence from the game, with him regularly linked with the United job dating back to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s dismissal.

That was the case again before Ruben Amorim’s arrival at Old Trafford in 2024 and once more earlier this season. Zidane has even spoken publicly about the prospect of managing United in the past.

When asked if he would consider taking a Premier League job in 2022, the 1998 World Cup winner told L’Equipe: “Never say never. Especially when you are a coach today. If I go back to a club, it is to win. I say this with all modesty.

“That’s why I can’t just go anywhere. For other reasons, too. Certain conditions make things more difficult. When someone says to me, ‘Do you want to go to Manchester [United]?’ I understand English but I don’t fully master it.

“I know there are coaches who go to clubs without speaking the language but I work differently. To win, many elements come into play. It’s a global context. I know what I need to win.

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“Of course, I might not always win but I know that you need to have this, this and this. And I want to do everything on my side to optimise my chances of victory.”

Another of Zidane’s former France team-mates, Arsenal icon Emmanuel Petit, later fuelled speculation over the legendary midfielder’s potential move to United by suggesting he had been taking English lessons.

Petit said: “If you are a manager of a football club, you need to speak different languages. I know Zinedine speaks different languages but, I’m pretty sure English is not one of them.

“There are so many examples of wrong decisions in football, not necessarily the wrong decision about someone’s ability, but about the dressing room being a right fit given all the different nationalities.

“Communication is very important, so if you do not speak the language when you arrive at a club like Manchester United, that could be a big problem.

“I’ve been told that he has been learning English recently, so I think he knows it’s important for his career. But Zinedine being linked with Manchester United, I don’t believe it, to be honest.”

The Frenchman, who usually avoids the spotlight, caused a stir when he made a surprise appearance at a Real Betis training session in 2024, prompting speculation that the former Real Madrid manager was gearing up for a managerial comeback. It later emerged that the visit was simply to watch his son, Elyaz, train with the senior team for the first time since leaving Real Madrid.

His name has resurfaced among the contenders for the United job, which is vacant at the end of the current campaign. Michael Carrick was appointed as interim boss last month, leading to speculation over who will assume the role on a permanent basis in the summer.

However, even before the latest reports of an agreement with France put an end to speculation linking him with United, Zidane had recently reiterated his ambition to take charge of the national team.

“I will definitely return,” Zidane said during an appearance at Festival dello Sport in Trento last year. “In terms of the future, I don’t know. My feeling is that I want to be able to coach the national team in the future, even though I don’t mean right now. I would like to one day, but we’ll see.”

Earlier this season, when discussing his stance on returning to management, Zidane revealed: “It will happen soon. Very soon.”

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Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has responded to his star player Lamine Yamal’s frustration at being substituted off in the victory over Levante. The Blaugrana returned to the summit of the LaLiga standings with a 3-0 win against Levante on Sunday, February 22.

Yamal seemed visibly frustrated when he was taken off for Roony Bardghji in the 88th minute. The Catalan giants already established a 3-0 lead at the point and looked pretty much certain to take all three points.

However, Yamal looked irritated with the substitution and shook his head as he took his seat. Following the game, Hansi Flick was asked to comment on the youngster’s reaction and the German downplayed the incident.

Flick insisted that he was happy to see Yamal’s mentality of always looking to score and assist. He also reminded that the Spaniard is only 18 years of age and his legs needs to be protected. The Barcelona manager said, as quoted by The National:

“I love that he is disappointed. It shows his mentality. He always wants to score, to assist, to help the team. That is good. That is what we want from our players.”

He added:

“He is 18 years old. We have to take care of him. He plays a lot of minutes and today the game was under control. It was the right moment to give him some rest.”

Marc Bernal, Frenkie de Jong and Fermin Lopez scored for the Blaugrana as they leapfrogged ahead of Real Madrid at the top of the table. Los Blancos suffered a 2-1 loss against Osasuna and are now one point behind their arch rivals.

Yamal has been excellent for Barcelona this season scoring 15 goals and producing 14 assists in 33 appearances across competitions. He provided the assist for Barca’s third goal against Levante, scored by Fermin Lopez.

Manchester United eyeing a €40m bid for Barcelona defender in the summer: Reports

Manchester United have reportedly emerged as big admirers of Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde. As claimed by Mundo Deportivo, Barca view Balde as an important player but not untouchable.

The Catalan giants would reportedly sell Balde if they receive the right offer and Manchester United have already registered their interest. The Red Devils are looking for a long-term successor to Luke Shaw who has entered the final 18 months of his deal.

The Premier League giants are reportedly ready to offer Barcelona €40 million for Balde’s services in the summer. Aged only 22, Balde is mostly known for his attacking forays, having scored thrice and provided 21 assists in 158 games for Barca till date.