Zinedine Zidane snubs monster £84million contract offer after deciding next job
Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane continues to be courted by clubs who are willing to pay mega-money to lure him back to management but the Frenchman is holding out for one specific role
Zinedine Zidane is said to have turned down a lucrative proposal from Saudi Arabia which would have seen the former Real Madrid manager bank a staggering £84million for just one year's work.
Zidane, 52, has not managed since the end of his second spell in charge of Los Blancos back in 2021. But that hasn't stopped clubs from courting the legendary midfielder, who has been linked with the Manchester United job among others during said period.
Rumblings of interest in Zidane's services from the Saudi Pro League have been heard more recently, with a new report claiming that Al-Hilal made the Frenchman an offer.
As per L'Equipe, the Saudi outfit were willing to pay Zidane €100m (£84m) to commit to just a one-year contract ahead of the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup tournament.
But unfortunately for the Saudi Pro League outfit, who have been on the lookout for a new manager since parting company with Jorge Jesus back in May, Zidane rejected their proposal.
They have since been linked with Simone Inzaghi, the Inter Milan boss, who could be set for a new challenge after watching his team get smashed 5-0 by a rampant Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on Saturday night.
Despite his prolonged absence from the dugout, Zidane is said to be in no rush to strike an agreement with any interested parties given he is still keen on managing the France national team.
Much has been made of Zidane's ambition to manage his country in recent years and, intriguingly, there will soon be a vacancy with Didier Deschamps poised to stand down from his role after the 2026 World Cup.
Deschamps confirmed earlier this year that the next major tournament would be his last, sparking fresh speculation over the role and Zidane.
On his part, Zidane reaffirmed his plan to wait for that dream role earlier this week when he effectively put himself forward for consideration as Deschamps' successor.
"I feel legitimate in the France team," he said. "[It is] where I played and spent almost twelve, thirteen or fourteen years as a player. Of course, it's a dream, I can't wait."
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