Zinedine Zidane to turn down Manchester United for this unexpected reason

The French coach was mentioned as a possible replacement for Ten Hag.

29/02/2024, 06:29 PM +00:00

Erik Ten Hag's situation at Manchester United is critical. He has been pointed as one of the main responsible for the team's failures this season, as many believe that his mistakes in the choice of players during the summer transfer window and his strategic decisions for some games have been key to the Red Devils not getting the expected results.

The English side were eliminated early in the Carabao Cup and Champions League, while in the Premier League they are far from the top of the table. But the tournament is not over for them, as they need to finish as high as possible to reach the next Champions League. And they will also give their best to win the FA Cup and finish the season with at least one title.

In case of not achieving these goals, it will be very difficult for Ten Hag to stay at Old Trafford next summer. That is why for weeks now there have been rumors about his possible replacement. According to reports, Sir Jim Ratcliffe's dream is Zinedine Zidane, who has been out of work for almost 3 years since his departure from Real Madrid in 2021. He was mentioned as a possible coach of the France national team, as well as Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Marseille, but so far none of that has happened.

And, according to Julien Laurens, he won't be coming to Manchester United either. The French journalist told RMC Sport that there are two reasons why Zidane will not work in England: "I've always been told that the language barrier in terms of his English, which he doesn't speak and doesn't necessarily want to learn, has always been an obstacle to him arriving in the Premier League," he began. He added: "I don't think he likes life in England either. He didn't want to come as a player and nor does he want to come as a manager."

Who are the other options?

With Zinedine Zidane ruled out, if Erik Ten Hag leaves Manchester United this summer, Sir Jim Ratcliffe will have to look at other alternatives. Some of the coaches mentioned are Michael Carrick, Roberto De Zerbi, Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.