This is not the first time Zinedine Zidane’s name has been linked to Saudi football. And it certainly won’t be the last, as his lack of coaching activity allows for such situations. We are dealing with another attempt to bring Zizou to the Arab league, informs MARK.
This time, it is Al-Nassr, the team of Cristiano Ronaldo, who want to end the uncomfortable situation by reaching for a big name in the coaching bench. One of the coaches who appeared on the list of candidates to replace Luis Castro (who is still in the position) is the former coach and player of Real Madrid.
Al-Nassr, like Cristiano Ronaldo, have not started the season well. A painful defeat to Al-Hilal in the Super Cup makes the dream of dethroning Neymar’s team almost impossible to achieve, causing nervousness and uncertainty in the highest echelons of a club that was created to fight for all the trophies and currently finds itself far from that goal, notes MARK.
The current manager is highly questioned and while all of the coaching appointments this season have had experience in Arab football as a requirement, they are now focusing on the manager’s name and track record to try and put Al-Nassr at the top of the table.
Cristiano Ronaldo now has a greater influence on the team’s sporting structure and when asked, he did not hesitate to point to Zinedine Zidane as the ideal candidate. Fernando Hierro also has a role in the Arab club’s sporting structure, as a sporting director, but the final decision will be made by the club’s president.
Saudi football has been approached by a French coach on several occasions, but the French national team has always been on Zidane’s radar. The French national team’s bench has always been his preferred alternative when considering returning to coaching after two stints as Real Madrid’s head coach.