Thierry Henry has named Zinedine Zidane’s ‘dream’ job amid Man Utd hyperlinks after Erik ten Hag axe
Thierry Henry has already confirmed Zinedine Zidane has his eyes on the France national team’s top job despite links to Manchester United intensifying.
Zidane starred for Les Bleus as a player, lifting the World Cup in 1998 and Euro 2000 before stepping into management and winning three consecutive Champions Leagues with Real Madrid.
After leaving his role at the Bernabeu in May 2021, Zidane has been linked with a host of clubs, including Juventus, PSG, and even United. The 52-year-old was linked with the job before Ten Hag’s appointment at Old Trafford, and those links have intensified after the Dutchman was sacked by United on Monday.
While doubts about Zidane managing in England have been raised due to the language barrier, he once quipped “never say never” in 2022. But it seems he could be holding out to replace Didier Deschamps as the boss of his home country, at least according to ex-teammate Henry.
Henry told CBS Sports: “I’m not going to go there, I think he is waiting for the national team. So I’m not going to go there. I don’t think he will go there [Juventus]. I think he is waiting for one thing and one thing only and that’s the national team.
“You won three Champions Leagues with Real Madrid, why are you going to bother with other clubs when you can have the national team? I wouldn’t.”
(Image: CBS Sports)
When pressed about his knowledge of whether the France job may become available soon, he replied: “I don’t actually know but Zizou has been waiting. He’s been linked with a lot of clubs and it never happened. I don’t think Zizou would want to do it, I can see him waiting for the national team and it makes total sense.”
Zidane is still waiting to land his dream job with Deschamps leading France at two major tournaments since Henry’s remarks—the 2022 Qatar World Cup and the Euros last summer. Deschamps has managed Les Bleus since 2012, winning the 2018 World Cup and losing in the 2022 final. He is also under contract with France until at least 2026.
Meanwhile, Zidane, who has been linked with the Saudi Arabia job after Roberto Mancini’s exit, isn’t the only high-profile name touted to replace Ten Hag with former Barcelona manager Xavi also linked after leaving the Catalan giants in the summer.
