“He isn’t in it for the money” - Marcel Desailly names 2 clubs who sent blank cheques to Real Madrid icon Zidane for him to become their manager

Former French international Marcel Desailly claimed that Real Madrid icon Zinedine Zidane turned down managerial offers from Manchester United and Chelsea as he prefers to manage the national team. Zidane has only managed Real Madrid and has not been in management since stepping down from the role in 2021.

The Frenchman has been linked to taking on the managerial role at several clubs but those rumors have proven premature as he is still without a job.

Speaking to Oddspedia, Desailly asserted that Zidane will not be tempted by financial offers while deciding his next managerial move and insisted that his fellow countryman will take the France national team to the top level in Europe. He said (via Mirror):

"Will Zinedine Zidane be tempted by Saudi Arabia? Well, he had a blank cheque on the table from Chelsea and a blank cheque from Manchester United and turned them down – he isn’t in it for the money. I don’t see why money will change anything, I know privately that he won’t change his lifestyle. He likes to travel and always keeps an eye on the France national team."

He continued:

"He’s ready because Didier Deschamps has started the transition. France will be one of the favourites for the World Cup and win or lose, it’s not the end of this era for France. Since 2016, France have been growing and growing. New players have come into the team constantly and now they have the right players."

"Rayan Cherki is one of them alongside Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe is still there and on top of his game. There is a real dynamic. William Saliba is in defence with Ibrahima Konate, Bayern have Dayot Upamecano. There is a squad and a philosophy and Zidane will know how to take that on to rebuild his own team. For another eight years at least, France will be at the top level in Europe."

Zinedine Zidane first managed the Real Madrid U17 side between 2012 and 2013. He went on to manage the club’s senior team across two different stints. His first stint was between 2016 and 2018 while his second stint was between 2019 and 2021.

How Zinedine Zidane fared in Real Madrid as a manager

Zinedine Zidane was appointed as Real Madrid head coach on January 4, 2016, the same day then-manager Rafael Benitez was dismissed from the position. His first match in charge of the club was a memorable one, defeating Deportivo La Coruña 5-0 in a LaLiga clash.

While the side finished second in the league table, he won Los Blancos their eleventh Champions League title with a 5-3 penalty shoot-out victory over Atletico Madrid in 2016.

In the process, he became the seventh man to win the European Cup as a player and a coach. He was also the second man to achieve that feat with Real Madrid.

In the 2016-17 campaign, which was Zidane’s first full season in charge of the club, he started the campaign with a trophy (the UEFA Super Cup) and ended it with the FIFA Club World Cup, LaLiga, and the Champions League.

The following season, Zidane won a second consecutive UEFA Super Cup for Los Blancos and capped it off with another Champions League title to become the first club to win three successive titles in the UCL era. However, he announced his resignation a few days after the UCL final.

The Frenchman returned to the club for his second managerial stint in March 2019 after Santiago Scolari was fired. However, his second stint at Los Blancos wasn’t as successful as the first, as he won just two trophies and finished his last season trophyless.