Former Real Madrid manager and footballing superstar, Zinedine Zidane, will not seek to join Manchester United if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is sacked.
According to reports from ESPN, Zidane will not seek the United job, if it becomes available. He is reported to be enjoying time away from managing and recharging his batteries for his next endeavor.
Because of his unique history, Zidane has been hailed as the right man for the United job. Before proving himself as a manager at Real Madrid he was a world-class player. The pressure under any United manager is intense, but it pales in comparison to managing Real Madrid.
The Greatest Ever – Zinedine Zidane. pic.twitter.com/vK3ouAJidu
— Ehsan (@LosBlancoEhsan) October 20, 2021
Zidane’s two stints at Real Madrid as manager were nearly as successful as his career as a player. In his first run in charge of Real, Zidane won three consecutive Champions Leagues, from 2016 to 2018, a feat that hadn’t been done since Bayern Munich pulled it off between 1974 and 1976, and La Liga in 2016-17. Zidane stepped down following the 2018 season but was lured back to Madrid in 2019. He would go on to win another La Liga before stepping down again in May of 2021.
With Zidane out of the running, there are rumors that Manchester United will target Antonio Conte to spearhead a title challenge. Conte has an impressive managerial record and has experience turning around high-profile clubs that have hit hard times.
Conte took charge of Juventus after that club finished seventh in the league in consecutive seasons. His first season saw immediate returns, and he led Juventus to an undefeated season and the Serie A title. It was the first time Juventus had won the Italian league since 2002-03, and it kicked off a run of nine consecutive scudettos for the club, which would be broken by a Conte-managed squad.
Making Conte more enticing to United is that he has Premier League experience. He took over a Chelsea side that had imploded under Jose Mourinho, finishing 10th in the league. In his first season, he won the league and then followed it up with an FA Cup in 2017-18. While his time in England was brief, he’s not the first great manager to have a short, yet successful stint at Chelsea.
Conte was once again drawn back to Italy, this time to resurrect Inter Milan. Inter had been poor in the years following their treble under Jose Mourinho. The best league finish the club had managed were a few fourth-place forays. As soon as Conte took over, however, Inter were title challengers. In his first season, Inter finished second, one point behind Juventus, and in his second season, he won the league by 12 points and ended the dominance that he had started at Juventus.
Don Antonio Conte then pic.twitter.com/CDoVuwn7t6
— Drole ???????????????? (@DROLEmufc) October 25, 2021
Zidane may not want the Manchester United job, but if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is to be sacked, Antonio Conte has the exact type of track record that United should target.
