- French coach left the Bernabeu in 2021
- Linked with Les Bleus post
- Eager to work with superstar forward
WHAT HAPPENED? The legendary Frenchman has been out of work since bringing a second spell in charge of Real Madrid to a close in the summer of 2021. He has expressed a desire to return to coaching in the near future, having previously delivered two La Liga titles and three Champions League crowns while overseeing events at Santiago Bernabeu. Zidane has been linked with a number of roles since walking away from Real, but hopes that he will get the chance to coach fellow countryman Mbappe at some stage.
WHAT THEY SAID: Zidane has told L’Equipe: “When you’re a manager and there is a player like him, of course, you’d want to manage him. Lots of things can happen. It could happen one day. He is a player that wears the France shirt well. In any case, I admire what he does. He’s beautiful, strong.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Zidane has been mooted as a potential successor to Didier Deschamps as manager of the France national team once the 2018 World Cup winner decides that it is time for him to relinquish those reins – which would present an opportunity to work with Mbappe.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT? Mbappe has also been heavily linked with a transfer to Real Madrid, as he will not be extending his contract at Paris Saint-Germain beyond the summer of 2024, so maybe there is a temptation on Zidane's part – who also graced the Blancos’ books with distinction as a player – to retrace his steps to the Spanish capital.