Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has denied ever wanting Zinedine Zidane to manage the club despite reports suggesting Zidane had rejected an approach to take over at the Parc des Princes.
Al-Khelaifi said he never spoke with Zidane, formally or informally, to try and get him to return to coaching after he left Real Madrid following the 2020-21 season.
PSG are expected to announce the dismissal of Mauricio Pochettino soon, with Nice head coach Christophe Galtier considered the top candidate to replace the Argentine.
What did Al-Khelaifi say about Zidane?
GOAL, along with many other publications, reported earlier this month that negotiations between Zidane and PSG had reached an advanced stage, only for them to break down days later.
Galtier has since emerged as PSG's favoured option, while Zidane has publicly confirmed he does want to return to coaching at some point.
Next Match
But Al-Khelaifi is insistent Zidane was never in his plans.
"I'll tell you one thing: we never spoke with him, neither directly nor indirectly," the club president told Le Parisien.
"Many clubs are interested in him, national teams too, but we have never discussed with him. We have chosen a coach who will be the best for what we want to put in place."
Al-Khelaifi confirms Galtier interest
Galtier led Nice to a fifth-place finish this past term after winning Ligue 1 with Lille the season before.
"We are discussing with Nice, it is not a secret," Al-Khelaifi said. "I hope that we will find an agreement quickly, but I respect Nice and the president [Jean-Pierre] Rivere, everyone defends their interests."
Where else could Zidane land?
With PSG seemingly no longer an option, there is speculation that Zidane could hold out for the France national team job after the 2022 World Cup.
Current boss Didier Deschamps has not indicated his plans after the tournament, and if he were to leave, Zidane would likely be seen as an option to take his place.
"Yes. I have a lot [left to give], or at least something," Zidane said this week about his coaching ambitions. "I want to continue along this path.
"I want to continue, I still have this flame, it's my passion, football."
-min.png?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60)