Belgium made the audacious decision to try to hire Zinedine Zidane as their new national team coach. The renowned Frenchman was apparently pursued by the Red Devils to replace Domenico Tedesco, and Zidane was contacted by Technical Director Vincent Mannaert to see if he was interested.
Zidane, who hasn’t held a managerial role since departing Real Madrid in May 2021, quickly turned down the offer, though. The French national team seems to be the target of the 1998 Ballon d’Or winner, who has declined a number of chances in recent years. After the 2026 World Cup, his name is often brought up as a possible Didier Deschamps replacement.
A number of other names were also considered in the search for a new management. None of them received unanimous approval, including Erik Ten Hag, Roberto Mancini, Massimiliano Allegri, and Louis van Gaal. Mannaert also pursued Sergio Conceiçao, but he ultimately decided to take over at AC Milan.
The Red Devils also made contact with Spain’s Julen Lopetegui and former star Thierry Henry. Henry, a former Roberto Martinez assistant in the Belgian setup, said he would like to return if he could bring a French assistant, but Lopetegui turned down the idea. However, some players objected to this possible nomination.
Rudi Garcia ultimately prevailed over the Belgian setup. After Tedesco was fired, the Frenchman was named head coach on January 24. Garcia, who has previously held positions at Lille, Marseille, Lyon, and Napoli, is making his first excursion into international management.