Juventus want Zidane as their next boss after he flirted with a return
ALVISE CAGNAZZO: Juventus are dreaming of Zinedine Zidane replacing Andrea Pirlo, winning the Champions League and convincing Cristiano Ronaldo to stay… they adored the Frenchman as a player and are ready to love him even more as a boss
- Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane hinted he’d like to manage Juventus one day
- The Serie A side have wanted Zidane as boss ever since Massimiliano Allegri left
- Juve board and fans believe he could turn the club back into an all-winning team
- Zidane would have to take a hefty pay cut to leave Madrid and return to Turin
It is no secret that Zinedine Zidane has grown tired of life as manager of Real Madrid.
Zidane has achieved almost everything as their boss, but even he does not always have the full support of the fickle fans in the Spanish capital.
All that success he has brought is quickly forgotten if Madrid have one off night or a bad result. It’s no wonder then that he has allowed his mind to ponder moving elsewhere, namely Juventus, where he made his name as a player and is still adored.
Zinedine Zidane has hinted he would like to return to former club Juventus in the future
Current Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo is facing the chop if they fail to finish in the top four
That’s not to say managing Juventus is much easier as their fans can be just as demanding and expectant. There are parallels between what Zidane is going through in Madrid and what Massimiliano Allegri and Marcello Lippi experienced in Turin.
What they discovered, and what Zidane is finding out now, is that great success cannot always win you affection.
At Juventus though, he is already highly thought of, particularly by chairman Andrea Agnelli, who is under the impression that Zidane is the right man to replace under-fire boss Andrea Pirlo.
Agnelli would have no doubt been delighted to hear then that the love Juventus feels for Zidane is reciprocated after the Real Madrid boss suggested he wanted to manage the Italians one day.
Zidane is still adored in Turin, having spent five successful years with the club as a player
Juventus chief Andrea Agnelli (left) admires Zidane and believes he’s the right man to take over
‘Do I miss more Italy or Del Piero? Both, Italy is in my heart, I spent five years in Turin and Juventus is still important to me,’ Zidane told Sky Sport Italia after Madrid’s 3-1 victory over Liverpool in their Champions League quarter-final first leg.
‘Future at Juve? I don’t know. For now I’m here, we’ll see,’ the 1998 World Cup winner added with a smile.
Agnelli’s uncle Giovanni once publicly embarrassed Zidane when he said back in 2001 that the Frenchman was a ‘player more fun than useful’. That, evidently, is not the opinion of Agnelli, who loved Zidane the player and loves Zidane the manager maybe even slightly more.
What has impressed him most is Zidane’s ability to improve players. Nacho has not got the physical attributes of Juan Cuadrado and yet he is one of the most solid full-backs in LaLiga.
real’s Luka Modric is not a young man anymore but he’s shown double the hunger Adrien Rabiot has this season for Juventus while Vinicius Junior seems to be getting better and better with each passing week at the Bernabeu despite being weighed down by the burden of trying to fill the void that was left by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Juventus have been impressed how Zidane has kept Real Madrid a force without Ronaldo
They’ve also been attracted by Zidane’s ability to improve players and get the best out of them
Juventus feel they have a group of players who are capable of competing for the Champions League and dominating in Italy, but need a true teacher to get the best out of them as opposed to Pirlo, who as great as a player he was, is an apprentice manager.
Sportsmail reported back in 2019 that Zidane was Juventus’ first choice to take over when Allegri left the club almost two years ago and that is still the case.
When it was not possible for Juve to lure Zidane away from Madrid they turned to Maurizio Sarri and then Pirlo, both of whom look like only lasting one season at the helm.
But now there may be a real possibility of Juve getting their man. If Zidane was to be appointed, it would breathe new life back into the supporters, who have been pained and underwhelmed by this season’s performances.
Although Sarri won the Serie A title last season, fans were never convinced of him and did not enjoy his style of play, either. In their view, the last 24 months have not been good enough and they are now desperate for a positive change.
Juventus have endured a torrid season under Pirlo, and are currently sat third in the table
Fans are crying out for change, with Zidane an even more popular choice than Allegri returning
If their reaction to Zidane’s flirtatious comments with the Juve post is anything to go by, then he seems like the man to reinvigorate their hopes. Allegri’s return may well be a popular choice too among fans, but you sense Zidane would be their preferred option.
The general consensus among the supporters is that the club need to rebuild, and Zidane is viewed as someone who could oversee that and transform Juventus into an all-conquering team once again.
After all, Zidane has all the characteristics of a coach Juventus are looking for. He is an elegant man-manager, who plays with an emphasis on attack, is a polyglot and has experience of life in Italy.
He has delivered three Champions Leagues for Madrid as well – the trophy Juventus have been trying so desperately hard to win, having gone 25 years without lifting it.
How Agnelli would love to see that drought ended. Another thing that has attracted Juventus to Zidane, is how Madrid have managed to remain a force in Europe even without Ronaldo under his guidance.
Zidane has everything Juventus want in a coach and has won Champion League three times
Juventus also believe the Frenchman’s arrival could convince Ronaldo to stay at the club
There is a general feeling among high-ranking officials at Juventus too that Zidane’s arrival will persuade Ronaldo not to seek new pastures this summer.
Juventus, however, will be well aware that any possibility of Zidane joining is likely to hinge on whether or not they qualify for Champions League football next season.
Pirlo’s side are currently sat in third, but are only one point above Atalanta in fourth and three above Napoli in fifth, so could still easily miss out.
Another hurdle they would need to overcome is his salary, with Zidane likely commanding a yearly wage of over £8.5million, which is what he’s roughly earning in Spain.
In this moment of great economic crisis, that is not something Juventus can guarantee, meaning Zidane would have to take a pay cut to join them.
As big a problem as that may be, Juventus fans and legends alike are not letting it deter them from dreaming.
Alessandro Del Piero admitted his former team-mate would be a perfect fit for Juventus and even suggested that Zidane the manager may eclipse Zidane the player.
Juve now need to rebuild after their dominance in Italy is set to end at the hands of Inter Milan
Alessandro Del Piero (left) said his old team-mate would be a perfect fit in the dugout at Juve
Juve want to be an all-winning team again and are dreaming of Zidane leading them forward
‘Zizou had some fantastic years with us at Juventus. He knew what it meant to play for the club and took on board the Juventus mentality,’ he told Sky Sport Italia.
‘He knew to give his best for every match and that when you won, you thought about the next game, and if you lost you would have a big problem.
‘This is a bit like what he would’ve also experienced in Madrid, where you can’t spend a year without winning the championship or the Champions League or the domestic cup.
‘What I like about him as a manager is that he does not try to take all the credit and gives players the freedom and advice to develop.
‘He works very hard behind the scenes, as all great coaches love to do. He could do great things at Juventus.’
Maybe next season we’ll find out.
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