ZINEDINE ZIDANE has personally guaranteed his return to football management.
The former midfield maestro, 53, has been out of work for four years.
And he could be one of the names Manchester United turn to if they axe Ruben Amorim.
His second spell as manager of Real Madrid ended in 2021 – and some fear that Zidane has been away from the professional game for so long, he may never return.
That would be a travesty for a boss who won three consecutive Champions League titles in charge of Real and has never tested his managerial talent anywhere else.
At the Festival dello Sport on Sunday, Zidane squashed rumours that he will never be back in the dugout.
He said: “I will definitely return.”
But he didn’t fill the Italian crowd with confidence about him one day taking charge of another former club – Juventus.
And he didn’t even mention a potential vacancy at Old Trafford.
Instead, Zidane made it pretty clear that he is waiting for his shot at the France job.
Asked about a Juve reunion, he said: “I don’t know. It hasn’t happened in the past, I made other choices.
“Juve is always close to my heart, they gave me so much when I first got there.
“In terms of the future, I don’t know. My feeling is that I want to be able to coach the national team in the future, even though I don’t mean right now. I would like to one day, but we’ll see.”
Chances to coach Les Bleus don’t come around often.
France have only had three managers in the past two decades, and Didier Deschamps has been in charge for 13 straight years, leading them to World Cup and Nations League triumphs.
Zidane is still considered one of France’s greatest ever players, having racked up 31 goals in 108 international games before retiring in 2006.
His final game saw Zidane head-butt Marco Materazzi in the chest during the World Cup final which France ultimately lost on penalties.
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