Zinedine Zidane seems to want to continue his vacation a little longer and wait until after the World Cup in the summer of 2026. The French legend has not had a coaching job since he ended his second spell as Real Madrid coach in the summer of 2021.
He has been linked with a number of prestigious jobs, including at Manchester United, Chelsea and the French national team, but has so far chosen to remain outside football.
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Will only coach Real Madrid or France
Marca reported earlier this year that Zidane would only return to the coaching role if he received offers from either Real Madrid or the French national team.
The Real Madrid job is now filled by former club player Xabi Alonso, while France’s Didier Deschamps will continue as national team manager until the summer of 2026 after the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
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Rejects giant offer from Saudi Arabia
According to L’Équipe, Zidane has now turned down a shocking one-year contract offer worth 100 million euros from the Saudi Professional League.
The club that made the offer has not been named, but several teams – including Club World Cup participant Al Hilal – are looking for a new coach.
L’Équipe further states that the former midfielder is still focused on succeeding Deschamps as France national team coach, where he will try to do as he does – by winning the World Cup both as a player and coach.
Only three people – Deschamps, Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer – have previously achieved this feat.
Language barrier hinders English adventure
In the past, Zidane has stated that he has no plans to work for an English-language club, as he is not fluent in the language.
“Would I go to Manchester?” he told L’Équipe. “I understand English, but I don’t speak it fluently.”
“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 to be able to win, it’s a holistic context. I know what I need to win.”
