Zinedine Zidane is reportedly open to a return to club management with Didier Deschamps set to extend his stay as France boss.
Deschamps led his injury-hit side to the World Cup final where they were just a penalty shootout away from retaining their trophy after twice coming back in remarkable final defeat against Argentina on Sunday.
Zidane has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in the summer of 2021 and was linked to the Manchester United hot seat last season. The legendary former midfielder has frequently spoken of his desire to return to management after two successful stints at the helm of Real Madrid.
French president Emmanuel Macron has recently spoken of his ambition to help persuade Zidane to return to football in Ligue 1, amid links with the Paris Saint-Germain post. Despite being from the city of Marseille – who are domestic rivals of the French capital club – Zidane had been strongly linked to replacing Mauricio Pochettino in the PSG hotseat earlier this year, but Christophe Galtier was appointed in the role.
Zidane had previously been linked with the United post after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was dismissed from the position in November last season. The job was eventually handed to Ralf Rangnick on an interim basis until the end of the campaign, before Erik ten Hag assumed the role on a permanent basis.
A report in L’Equipe now details how Zidane is open to a return to club management having previously preferred to wait for the France national team role to become available. It had been expected that Deschamps may leave his position at the end of the tournament, but the side’s performance in the face of adversity may see him stay on until the 2026 edition.
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Zidane has already ruled out a move to English football, despite his improving level of English as he is not attracted by managing in the Premier League. His agent Alain Migliaccio rejected several approaches from United last season in bids to gauge his interest in a move to Old Trafford.
The boss is also said not to be attracted by a move to PSG, as he is not a fan of the current organisation of the capital club and would prefer for another position to become available. A return to his former club Juventus has not been ruled out.
Speaking earlier this year, Zidane explained in a typically coy interview over his future: "Am I still able to contribute things as a coach? Yes, many things, or I think at least some!
"I want to continue with that career because I still have the desire – it is my passion. I am 50 years old, fulfilled, I'm happy, that's the most important thing."
In a wide-ranging interview, Zidane also went on to explain the success he enjoyed at Real Madrid. Winning the Champions League trophy in three successive seasons was an unprecedented achievement, while he also secured the league title in each of his stints at the helm of the Spanish capital club.
He added: "We worked a lot, we had incredible players, and a team that followed me. I was responsible for many things, but I had a great team that supported me. It just would not have been possible without everyone. I need to surround myself with people that I feel comfortable with. Without them, it could not work."
