Ruling out recent reports claiming Real Madrid and France legend Zinedine Zidane wanting to succeed Thomas Tuchel as Bayern Munich manager, ESPN on Friday evening said that the 51-year-old has other plans in mind.
The World Cup winner is not keen on joining the Bavarian powerhouse mainly due to a language barrier, the news report said. Zidane is not fluent in either German or English, which could make man-management and effective communication with his squad difficult.
Earlier, some media reports said that Bayern Munich had convinced Zinedine Zidane to take over when Tuchel leaves at the end of the current campaign. The Bundesliga giants had agreed to Zidane's personal terms and promised him multiple fresh signings, the reports said. German national team coach Julian Nagelsmann and Zidane were the frontrunners to land the job as per these reports. The speculations strengthened after Nagelsmann decided to extend his deal with Dies Mannschaft until 2026.
Zidane's agent Alain Migliaccio is very close to Bayern Munich's honorary president Uli Hoeness, the ESPN report said. Zidane has not coached any team since his second stint with his former club Real Madrid came to an end in 2021. He won three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles with the Los Blancos starting in 2016.
Bayern Munich will host Real Madrid on April 30 in the first legs of the Champions League semi-finals. The return leg at the Spanish capital will take place on May 8.
