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.
“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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