Is Zinedine Zidane being sent to Saudi Arabia for coaching?

Published October 23rd, 2024 - 08:35 GMT
Zinedine Zidane
French former football player Zinedine Zidane looks on ahead of the UEFA Champions League final football match between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid, at Wembley stadium, in London, on June 1, 2024. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)

ALBAWABA - Legendary football star and former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane took the internet by storm after rumors claimed that the star is reportedly being sent to Saudi Arabia to coach its national team after three years of hiatus. 

Rumors about Zinedine Zidane's possible comeback first spread from multiple Italian football outlets saying that the Saudi Football Federation is interested in signing Zizou as its national team head coach, according to Milan's Corriere della Sera.

Is Zinedine Zidane being sent to Saudi Arabia for coaching?

On the other hand, retired French star Christophe Dugarry and close friend of Zinedine Zidane slammed the rumors in question and said "He will never go... If he wanted to move there, he would have done so a long time ago," and added that he will neither teach the national team or any of its football clubs as well. 

The Saudi national football team is currently being coached under Italian football manager Roberto Mancini but has been in a pinch recently due to losing against Japan (0-2) and going (0-0) against Bahrain in the 2026 World Cup Qualifying - AFC. 

Zinedine Zidane

France's former football champion Zinedine Zidane and his wife Veronique attend the men's volleyball gold medal match between France and Poland at the South Paris Arena 1 in Paris during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on August 10, 2024. (Photo by Mauro PIMENTEL / AFP)
Zizou recently showcased his interest in coaching France's national football team but the country wasn't keen on signing him as manager despite winning three titles while coaching Spanish football team Real Madrid in the Summer of 2021, according to French media outlet RMC. 

By the time of writing this article, nothing has been confirmed about the matter in question but knowing Saudi Arabia and how the country has managed to sign players like Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo into its clubs, signing Zinedine Zidane as its national team's coach doesn't seem so far-fetched!

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