Could Zinedine Zidane be the next Manchester United manager? (Image: Getty Images)
Zinedine Zidane is reportedly in Sir Jim Ratcliffe's sights as a potential replacement for Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, should the club decide to part ways with the Dutchman. The 52-year-old French football legend has been without a managerial role since leaving Real Madrid in 2021.
Meanwhile, Ten Hag is under immense pressure as he enters his third season at Old Trafford, having failed to restore the club to its former glory. Since succeeding Ralf Rangnick in April 2022, Ten Hag has led the team to a third-place finish in the 2022/23 season and an eighth-place finish the following season.
Ten Hag's start to the 2024/25 Premier League season, with two defeats in his first three games, has fuelled speculation over his future at the club. United currently languish in 14th place, six points behind league leaders Manchester City. And rumours are rife that the club's bosses are considering potential replacements, with Zidane one of the names on the list, the Mirror reports.
Zidane, who enjoyed a glittering playing career with Real Madrid before retiring in 2006, returned to the Bernabeu as coach between 2016 and 2018, and again from 2019 to 2021. During his tenures, he led Los Blancos to two La Liga titles, two Spanish Super Cups, three Champions League titles, two UEFA Super Cups and two FIFA Club World Cups, cementing his reputation as a fearsome tactician.
Speculation is rife that French football legend Zidane could join Manchester United if Ten Hag leaves the North West. Here we reveal everything you need to know about the sporting sensation, from his colossal fortune to his footballing family life.
A colossal fortune
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Zizou is said to have amassed a whopping $120 million (£91.6 million) fortune, largely thanks to his glittering football career which saw him play for Cannes, Bordeaux, Juventus and Real Madrid. His stint as manager at Los Blancos is said to have further boosted his bank balance, with reports suggesting he earned an annual salary of €12 million (£10.1 million).
Zinedine Zidane and his wife Veronique (Image: Getty Images)
Off the pitch, Zidane has also signed lucrative endorsement deals with several brands including Adidas, Christian Dior and Lego. It is estimated that in 2006 alone he earned a whopping €8.6 million (£7.2 million) a year from brand deals.
Married for three decades
Zidane and Veronique Fernandez first crossed paths in 1989, when they were both 16 years old. Born in Rodez, Veronique attended the Rosella Hightower dance school in Cannes with the dream of becoming a professional dancer. It was there that she first met Zidane. Despite living in a strictly male-female apartment, the football star finally got the courage to say hello to her after a few months.
Five years later, the couple married in a grand ceremony at Bordeaux City Hall. Fernandez sacrificed her dream of becoming a professional dancer to support her footballer husband's global career, and they celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary together in 2024.
Zidane's footballing offspring
Zidane and his wife are parents to four boys. Their first child, Enzo, was born in March 1995, followed by Luca in May 1998. Theo was born in May 2002, while Elyaz joined the club on Boxing Day 2005. Each of the couple's sons has gone on to have promising careers in football, following in their father's footsteps.
Enzo came through the youth ranks at Juventus, Liceo Frances, San Jose and Real Madrid before signing for Los Blancos' C team in 2014, eventually breaking into the first team in 2016. However, he never played a single La Liga game for the team, having gone on to play for Alaves, Lausanne-Sport, Aves, Almeria, Rodez and Fuenlabrada.
At 29, he has been without a club since last summer. Luca spent his entire youth career at Real Madrid before breaking into the B team in 2016. His promotion to the first team in 2017 proved slightly more successful than his older brother's, playing two La Liga games for the Spanish giants before spells at Rayo Vallecano, Eibar and Granada, where he currently plays.
Enzo Zidane is Zinedine's eldest son (Photo: Real Madrid via Getty Images)
Theo's Real Madrid career ended with a notable spell in the B team, where he made 93 league appearances as a midfielder before a free transfer to Cordoba in the summer. His second-tier debut has seen him make his mark with four appearances already.
Elyaz, the youngest of the family, has chosen a slightly different path. After starting out alongside his brothers at Canillas and Real Madrid, the young central defender changed course by joining Betis this year. At just 18 years old, Elyaz has already worn the Betis B jersey ten times, demonstrating his burgeoning talent.
Links with Manchester United
Interestingly, despite the break with Real Madrid in 2021, Zidane remains the subject of speculation regarding high-profile managerial positions at prestigious clubs such as Bayern Munich and Manchester United, and equally important international teams from the United States to Brazil and Algeria. Although Zidane's potential interest in the Manchester United job should Ten Hag leave remains a mystery, largely due to his low-key nature.
Ten Hag have had a difficult start to the 2024/25 season (Image: Manchester United via Getty Imag)
Reflecting on the ever-changing landscape of football management, Zidane shared with L'Equipe in 2022: “You should never say never. Especially when you're a coach today. If I go back to a club, it's to win. I say that with all modesty. That's why I can't go anywhere. For other reasons too. Certain conditions make things more difficult. When someone tells me: 'You want to go to Manchester [United]”I understand English but I don't master it completely. I know that there are coaches who go to clubs without speaking the language, but I work differently. To win, many elements come into play. It's a global context.”
“I know what I need to win. Of course, I might not win every time, but I know you have to have this, that and that. And I want to do everything in my power to maximise my chances of winning.” Despite the current situation, there is no indication that Ten Hag will be shown the door by Ratcliffe in the near future, with indications suggesting he will have time to rectify the club's problems.
The Reds' 1-0 win over Fulham in their Premier League opener was promising for fans, but the cracks began to show in the 2-1 defeat to Brighton at the AMEX Stadium. More recently, Manchester United suffered a crushing 3-0 defeat to arch-rivals Liverpool at the Theatre of Dreams, and the Reds will be hoping to turn that around when they travel to St Mary's to take on promoted Southampton this weekend.
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1946597/Zinedine-Zidane-Net-Worth-Man-Utd