Manchester United are again the subject of speculation about sacking Ruben Amorim, and Zinedine Zidane is a potential replacement whose name has inevitably come up
Zinedine Zidane has spent the last four years away from coaching(Image: FilmMagic)
Zinedine Zidane is again the subject of speculation about becoming the next Manchester United manager.
The former Real Madrid boss frequently comes up in conversation whenever a United coach is under pressure as one of the highest-profile coaches without a club. Ruben Amorim is currently facing increasing scrutiny, so the recent links are no surprise.
Zidane has yet to take charge of another team since leaving the Spanish club at the end of the 2021/22 season. The United States Soccer Federation are said to have approached him after the 2022 World Cup about taking over, but the Frenchman reputedly declined.
Zidane’s ‘dream’ job
International management, however, seems set to be a part of his future. Zidane said at an Adidas event in late May: “I feel qualified for the French team, where I played and spent practically 12, 13, 14 years as a player. Of course, it’s a dream; I can’t wait.”
He also acknowledged: “There’s a coach in charge, there’s a team, and you have to respect everything, and that’s what we do. I’ve always respected football and the people, so it’s not the right time.
“But when the time comes, it will be a great pleasure if the opportunity arises. I’ve put my career on hold for a while, but I fully feel like a coach.”
Next job timeline
Didier Deschamps is currently in charge of the France national team, but said earlier this year said he would leave the role when his contract expires after the World Cup next year. “In 2026 it will be over,” he told the French TV channel TF1.”
“In my head, it’s very clear. I’ve done my time, with the same desire and passion to maintain France at the highest level, but 2026 is [a] very good [time to stop].
“One has to be able to say stop, there’s a life after this. The most important [thing] is for France to stay at the top as they have been for many years.”
The French football federation’s president, Philippe Diallo, however, would not be drawn on a replacement after being asked about Zidane. “I won’t get into that debate,” he told the French sports newspaper L’Équipe.
“Didier has a two-year contract and, out of respect for him, his staff and the players, the question of his succession does not arise today. I want Didier [Deschamps] to work in peace. We have important deadlines.”
On Zidane, Diallo added: “He is one of the monuments of French football and world football, he is the one who contributed to this first star on our jersey. I have a lot of respect and admiration for one of the greatest players in the history of football.
“I saw that he had very high-quality results with Real Madrid. He has already won the most beautiful of trophies, the Champions League, several times. So, he has also demonstrated the extent of his talent there.”
Zidane on United and his demands
Zidane, however, has spoken about the United job before. He told L’Équipe in 2022: “Would I want to go to Manchester? I understand English, but I’m not completely fluent in it.
“I know that there are coaches who go to clubs without speaking the language, but I work in a different way. Many elements come into play in order to win; it is a global context. I know what I need to win.”
His former teammate Emmanuel Petit also shared a similar sentiment last year. “Honestly, I know a little bit, Zizou [Zidane], and he needs to get guarantees if he wants to sign over there at Manchester United.
“At the moment, the environment at Manchester United, for years, has not been good. The stability of the bench, the level of the players as well, the expectation of the club is not the same that it used to be.
“United is still a huge club, but not on the pitch anymore. And Zizou is very conscious and very careful about that, the quality of the players.”
Petit added, “Could he manage to overturn the situation over there? I think the only answer is yes. But at the moment, when you look at the team, I’m not convinced at all about the level of some players.
“So if I am Zizou, I think it will be very easy, actually, to answer this question [of joining United]. If I don’t speak English on top of it, that will be more problems in terms of communication in the dressing room.
“If he takes the job at Manchester United, that means he’s got solutions. At the moment, I’m not sure a lot of people have the solution to turn the situation at Manchester United.
“Does he want to leave the sunny days of Madrid? His life is in Madrid, he is dedicated to Madrid.
“I’m not sure that he speaks very good English as well. And communication is very important in the dressing room.”
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