Zinedine Zidane has reportedly made his final decision about where he will manage next after it was claimed that he had “reached a preliminary agreement” to take over as head coach of Fenerbahce.
Zidane, 53, has been without a coaching role since he parted ways with Real Madrid back in 2021.
The Frenchman enjoyed two spells at Los Blancos and guided the Spanish outfit to 11 trophies - three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles, two La Liga titles, two FIFA Club World Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, and two Supercopa de España titles.
And to the surprise of many, ‘Zizou’ was shockingly linked with a switch to Fenerbahce earlier this week, with Turkish outlet Oksijen claiming that the Frenchman had “reached a preliminary agreement” to take over as the club's boss following the recent departure of Jose Mourinho.
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The outlet even suggested that Zidane was due to travel to Turkey after "negotiations on salary and contract details are completed".
The Istanbul side have failed to win the Super Lig since 2014, while city rivals Galatasaray, Besiktas and Istanbul Basaksehir have all lifted the crown.
Trabzonspor also won the Super Lig in 2021/22.
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However, in the summer transfer window, Fener have recruited several top-class players with Ederson arriving from Manchester City, while Jhon Duran has joined on loan from Al Nassr, and Marco Asensio joined from Paris Saint-Germain.
Now, Zidane has reportedly made his final decision on his next job, and unfortunately for Fenerbahce fans, it appears that ‘Zizou’ has opted for another role.
According to French outlet L’Equipe, Zidane is still set on taking over as France manager, as current Les Blues boss Didier Deschamps is due to step down from the role after the 2026 World Cup.
When asked about the prospect of taking over as France coach by MARCA earlier this year, Zidane said: “When the time comes, it will be a great pleasure if the opportunity arises.
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“I've put my career on hold for a while, but I fully feel like a coach.”
Several of Zidane’s associates have claimed that the 1998 World Cup winner is keeping a close eye on the national team’s progress and knows that the players supposedly ‘dream’ of working under him.
It is still unclear where Zidane will end up; several conflicting reports are currently circulating.
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But one thing is for sure, that Zidane is arguably France’s most beloved ex-footballer for his contributions towards the nation’s team winning the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.
Topics: Zinedine Zidane, Fenerbahce, Football, Real Madrid, Didier Deschamps, Transfer News
Luke Davies