Zinedine Zidane has not ruled out taking over as head coach at Paris Saint-Germain or following Didier Deschamps as France’s national team coach, amid growing speculation over his future.
Mauricio Pochettino’s departure from PSG has not yet been finalised, but reports have linked both Zidane and Nice boss Christophe Galtier to the job.
Zidnae stepped down in 2021 as a two-time LaLiga and three-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid.
He would assume either role as a highly-decorated coach, having also enjoyed an exceptional playing career.
In an interview with L’Equipe to mark his 50th birthday, he indicated he would not turn down the opportunity to coach the fiercest rivals of the club he supported as a child.
“Never say never,” he said. “Especially when you are a coach today, but the question is moot.
“This is absolutely irrelevant. When I was a player, I had a choice, almost every club.
“As a coach, there are not 50 clubs where I can go. There are two or three possibilities. This is the current reality. As coaches, we have much less choice than players.
“If I go back to a club, it’s to win. I say this with all modesty. That’s why I can’t go anywhere. For other reasons, too, I might not be able to go everywhere,“he said.
Zidane led France to win the World Cup in 1998 as a player which propelled him to winning the Ballon d’Or award.
He was also given a straight red card in the 2006 World Cup final after head butting Italy’s Marco Materazzi.
“I want to [be head coach of France], of course. I will be, I hope, one day,” Zidane said. “When? It’s not up to me, but I want to come full circle with the France team.
“But really, this is the pinnacle. And so, as I experienced that and today I am a coach, the France team is firmly rooted in my head.
“When I say that I want to take the France team one day, I assume it. Today, a team is in place, with its goals. But if the opportunity comes next, then I’ll be there.
(dpa/NAN)
