Zinedine Zidane has emerged as a candidate to be the next Brazil coach... with influential support from his former Real Madrid teammate Ronaldo.
The contract of current boss Tite expires at the end of the month and he will leave his post after overseeing Brazil’s World Cup quarter final exit to Croatia on penalties. The South American nation were favourites to win the competition and their last eight finish was a disappointment.
Zidane has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in the summer of 2021 and was linked to the Manchester United hot seat last season. The legendary former midfielder has frequently spoken of his desire to return to management after two successful stints at the helm of Real Madrid.
Zidane is familiar with many of Brazil’s star players including Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes and Casemiro – having coached the trio in the Spanish capital. He fits the ideal profile for the Brazilian FA due to his pedigree, man-management and that he is not contracted to another club. They are said to be willing to appoint a non-Brazilian in the role.
Zidane famously netted twice for France to beat Brazil 3-0 in the 1998 World Cup final, but a report in L’Equipe outlines how he is now the favoured candidate for the job, with influential backing from his former teammate Ronaldo. It had been believed Zidane was waiting for Didier Deschamps to leave the France national team, but he is set to stay on in the role having guided Les Bleus to a second successive World Cup final.
French president Emmanuel Macron has recently spoken of his ambition to help persuade Zidane to return to football in Ligue 1, amid links with the Paris Saint-Germain post. Despite being from the city of Marseille – who are domestic rivals of the French capital club – Zidane had been strongly linked to replacing Mauricio Pochettino in the PSG hotseat earlier this year, but Christophe Galtier was appointed in the role.
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Zidane had previously been linked with the United post after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was dismissed from the position in November last season. The job was eventually handed to Ralf Rangnick on an interim basis until the end of the campaign, before Erik ten Hag assumed the role on a permanent basis.
Zidane has already ruled out a move to English football, despite his improving level of English as he is not attracted by managing in the Premier League. His agent Alain Migliaccio rejected several approaches from United last season in bids to gauge his interest in a move to Old Trafford.
The boss is also said not to be attracted by a move to PSG, as he is not a fan of the current organisation of the capital club and would prefer for another position to become available. A future return to his former club Juventus has not been ruled out.