Zinedine Zidane, the Ballon d’Or winner and French football legend, made an appearance at the premiere of a documentary honoring former Italy and Juventus coach Marcello Lippi. At the event, Zidane shared insights into his own future aspirations, expressing his desire to coach in Italy.
The renowned midfielder, who achieved legendary status during his time with Juventus from 1996 to 2001 before his iconic move to Real Madrid, highlighted the significant influence of coaches such as Lippi and Carlo Ancelotti on his career.
“As a coach, I learned a great deal from both Lippi and Carlo Ancelotti,” Zidane revealed in an interview with Sky Sport Italia and DAZN. “Lippi was the first coach who really believed in me. He brought me to Juve, and I became the player I was thanks to him.”
Zidane’s association with Lippi extended to the final match of his illustrious playing career, coinciding with the 2006 World Cup Final, where Lippi coached the victorious Italy squad. However, Zidane’s farewell to the game was marred by controversy as he received a red card for head-butting Marco Materazzi, leading to his premature retirement.
Speculation has linked Zidane with a potential return to Serie A and Juventus as a coach, possibly replacing Max Allegri next season. When asked about the prospect of managing in Italy, Zidane expressed openness to the idea.
“Why not? Anything could happen. I would like to coach in Italy one day,” Zidane remarked.
Although currently not coaching, Zidane’s previous experiences include serving as an assistant manager to Ancelotti before taking on the head coaching role in two separate spells from January 2016 to May 2018, and again from March 2019 to June 2021 at Real Madrid.
Reflecting on his affinity for Italy, Zidane affirmed his admiration for the country’s passion for football. “I am not coaching at the moment, but why not? I like Italy, and I like that they love football in Italy,” he concluded, hinting at the possibility of a future coaching stint in the Serie A.
