It looks like former Real Madrid coach and the legendary French player Zinedine Zidane has found his next assignment! There was a lot of speculation on which team he may coach after leaving Real in 2021. From Manchester United to Chelsea, every big soccer club in the world has been linked to Zidane for the last three years. However, if some recent reports are to be believed, the former Juventus midfielder is going to Bayern Munich.
As per a recent report from Mundo Deportivo, “Zizou” is very close to joining the German club. However, the documents have not been signed as he is reportedly asking for “reinforcements” on the defensive lines. The current coach, Thomas Tuchel, brought in Kim Min-Jae in the 2023 transfer window to bolster the defensive roster. He got further backing from the club and signed Eric Dier from Tottenham on loan in January 2024.
🚨💣 BREAKING! ZINEDINE ZIDANE SHOULD BE THE COACH OF BAYERN MUNICH NEXT SEASON! 🔥🇫🇷
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) April 19, 2024
Only a few details are missing. 👀
(Source: @mundodeportivo ) pic.twitter.com/Kt7LjPfgaw
But, there are rumors that Bayern will not turn the loan into a permanent move. On top of that, Alphonso Davies is also reportedly eyeing a move out of the club after failing to reach an agreement to extend his contract. So Zidane would certainly require some defenders to regain the Bundesliga title from Bayer Leverkusen next season. This is the first time after 11 seasons that Bayern has failed to win the league.
Thomas Tuchel confirms his Bayern Munich exit
Thomas Tuchel was fired from Chelsea in 2022 after a poor start to the season. However, he did not sit out too long for a job as Bayern hired him to lead their team and removed Julian Nagelsmann. While the move was controversial, Munich managed to win the Bundesliga title that year. But, the cracks were there from the beginning as Manchester City knocked Munich out of Europe that year after beating them in the 2022-23 UCL quarter-finals.
But, since it was early into his reign, Bayern gave him time to improve. However, after losing the domestic league title, the German giants decided to end their partnership and announced that Tuchel would be leaving the club after the 2023-24 season. However, after his recent UCL success, where Bayern beat Arsenal in the quarter-finals, many wondered whether he would stay in the club.
🚨 What if FC Bayern asks you to stay beyond this summer after Nagelsmann signing new deal with Germany?
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 19, 2024
❗️ Thomas Tuchel: “I’ve an agreement with the club to part ways in June, it has been communicated and it stands”. pic.twitter.com/qCgVpXyxpN
Tuchel opened up on the issue recently and added, “I’ve an agreement with the club to part ways in June, it has been communicated and it stands”
So it seems set in stone that Tuchel is indeed leaving Bayern Munich. There was some chatter that the club may bring Nagelsmann back after the failed Tuchel experiment. However, the 36-year-old recently signed a contract extension with the German national team which rules him out of the contention. Hence, it also gives more validity to the reports of Zinedine Zidane joining the club ahead of the next season.
Why did Zinedine Zidane leave Real Madrid?
With his potential return on the horizon, let’s find out why Zinedine Zidane left Real Madrid in 2021 and went on a hiatus. His coaching career began in 2014, when took charge of the Real Madrid B team. However, he got a promotion in 2016 and took charge of the first team.
He had two stints with the club, the first of which lasted from 2016 to 2018 and the second one lasted from 2019 to 2021. During his time with the Los Blancos, Zidane won 2 La Liga titles, 3 successive Champions Leagues, 2 UEFA Supercups, and 2 FIFA Club World Cups.
But, his second stint with the club did not end on a positive note. After leaving Madrid, Zinedine added, “I’m leaving because I feel the club no longer has the faith in me I need, nor the support to build something in the medium or long term… I understand football and I know the demands of a club like Real Madrid. I know when you don’t win, you have to leave.” (h/t via The Athletic)
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If he does end up joining Bayern Munich, it will be the first time he has coached any club other than Real Madrid. With his pedigree and philosophy, there is no doubt that Zizou will bring some much-needed confidence that Bayern has lacked in recent seasons.