Well, looks like the saying ‘one man’s meat is another man’s poison’ could well be true. Or it could just well be different strokes for different folks.
The highly sought-after and in-demand former Real Madrid manager, Zinedine Zidane, is reportedly showing no interest at all in the Manchester United job to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should the latter be evicted as boss of the Old Trafford team. Zidane has emerged as one of the favorites to replace the heavily-beleaguered Norwegian if he is sacked by Manchester United due to their abysmal form, as has been indubitably demonstrated by their recent 5-0 capitulation (decapitation?) to their bitter rivals Liverpool in the Theater of Dreams at Old Trafford in the presence of a stupefied, bewildered home crowd.
Zinedine Zidane’s stance on managing in the Premier League suggests that he may not be the man to replace the Solskjaer as Manchester United manager at all, despite the pressure mounting on Solskjaer at Old Trafford following his lamentable start to the new season, with serious doubts over his beginning to escalate after Sunday’s 5-0 home trouncing by a clearly superior Liverpool side.
The United board are reportedly considering sacking the former Cardiff City manager and a number of high-profile candidates are already being linked as his replacements, with one of these being the serial, award-winning Zidane, who has been comfortably out of work since leaving Real Madrid at the end of an immensely stressful campaign last season.
However, despite the alleged interest shown by the United hierarchy, comments from his agent, Alain Migliaccio, from even three years ago have resurfaced that cast doubt on whether Zidane is open to taking over at United.
Speaking to Le Journal Du Dimanche in October 2018, Migliaccio said: “I don’t think he will manage in England. It doesn’t fit his style. I talked to him. It doesn’t really appeal to him.”
At the time, Zidane was in between his two terms as Los Blancos manager and was the subject of speculation even then linking him with replacing the then United boss, Jose Mourinho. However, Zidane had returned to the Santiago Bernabeu by the time Mourinho was dismissed by United, and the Red Devils ultimately appointed Solskjaer as the new interim manager.
Zidane is clearly one of the most sought-after managers in Europe at present, with a host of clubs eyeing him up to become their next boss.
Newcastle United’s new owners are reportedly big admirers of Zidane and have considered him as a potential option to replace the recently-sacked Steve Bruce at St. James’ Park.
French juggernauts Paris Saint-Germain are also believed to be eyeing Zidane to become their manager at some point in the future although the club is currently managed by former Tottenham Hotspur manager, Mauricio Pochettino, as the owners see Zidane as the next man to attempt to deliver their first Champions League title, should the Argentine fail in his quest to do so.
Zidane won three consecutive European crowns during his first spell as Real Madrid manager, lifting the famous trophy in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Credit: Football Tribe Malaysia
