Zinedine Zidane gets surprise new job with Formula One team
Zidane has been out of football management since leaving Real Madrid for the second time, nearly two years ago, and now he's in F1.
Zinedine Zidane has been given a surprise new job, outside of football, as he has become the Alpine F1 team's newest team ambassador.
It's been a while since we've seen Zidane in a managerial job, leaving Real Madrid for the second time at the end of the 2020/21 season.
His second stint in charge at the Bernabeu certainly wasn't as successful as winning three Champions League titles in two and a half years, as he did with his first spell.
Zidane was linked with the French job, before Didier Deschamps signed a new contract, although the former French Football Federation chief Noel le Graet didn't sound like he was ever going to offer the former midfielder the job.
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As if he hasn't had enough spells with Los Blancos, including time as a player and the second team manager, the Frenchman has been linked with a third time as manager of the first team.
That's due to reports that Carlo Ancelotti will leave the Spanish capital at the end of the current campaign, with a move to become the Brazil national team boss touted.
However, whilst he continues to wait for a job, the World Cup winning player now has a role in F1, having been named as Alpine's ambassador.
The announcement of the 50-year-old's new role came following the reveal of the French constructors' car for the upcoming season.
"I’m very happy to be here today and spend a great evening with you," Zizou said to the crowd at the official reveal.
"I have seen great things and I am ever so happy to be part of this team, to be part of the Alpine team.
"Why? It’s always a meeting that starts something and I had the opportunity of meeting Laurent and the whole Alpine team for a Grand Prix and I think we had a good exchange.
“We shared everything together and I think Alpine and Laurent had the project to give to young people, to have their opportunities for all the young talent. I was very interested in this project."
Predictably, the Frenchman has recently been linked with potentially taking the PSG job in the future, with Christophe Galtier's side in poor form.
Speaking at the reveal of his new job, Zidane said, "Now I have time [for Alpine]… but I don't know for how long. I know I want to coach again.
"Maybe I will have time until June, but things can go very fast — for sure, to resume coaching remains my desire."
Topics: Formula 1, Football, Alpine, Zinedine Zidane, France
Ryan Sidle