Zinedine Zidane makes surprise move into new sport as €5,000,000 decision made

Zinedine Zidane has made a huge decision regarding his future, with the Frenchman having been without a managerial role in football since he left Real Madrid in 2021.

Zidane, 52, is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders to have played for Real Madrid having won the Champions League and La Liga during his playing career.

But the Frenchman’s love affair with the Spanish giants continued when he became manager of Real Madrid B in 2014 before stepping up to the role of first-team manager in 2016.

More success followed as he led the club to the 2016/17 La Liga title as well as guiding the likes of Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to three consecutive Champions League triumphs before he left in 2018.

However, Zidane became Madrid boss once again the following year and won La Liga in 2019/20 before he was replaced by Carlo Ancelotti in 2021.

He has since been without a managerial role in football despite tentative links with the Manchester United job on several occasions.

So, what next for the 1998 World Cup winner?

Well, although his next move in football is still unclear, according to The Padel Paper, he has invested €5 million in a project which aims to open a new sports centre featuring 13 padel courts, two five-a-side football pitches and a beach volleyball court, with construction starting in early 2026.

Zinedine Zidane is without a job in football (Credit:Getty)

Padel is a racket sport which originated in Mexico and has grown in popularity in recent years.

Ronaldo, 40, has also taken an interest in the sport and purchased the Lisbon Racket Centre. Former forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic also opened the doors to a padel centre in Sweden back in 2020.

Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp even revealed how he is "addicted" to the sport.

"Padel is, besides football, the best game I've ever played," Klopp told Wilson.

"I've only known it in the last five years or so, but since then, I'm really addicted to it. You make big steps in a short period of time. It's really fun to play."

But what fans really want to know is when, if ever, 'Zizou' will return to the dugout and right now only he knows the answer to that.