What is Zidane up to Now? The gootball legend hasn’t coached in 3.5 years

Zinedine Zidane is undoubtedly a legend, not only in French football but in the entire world of sports. A Ballon d'Or winner in 1998 with Juventus, Zidane’s transfer to Real Madrid in 2001 for a then-record fee of £75 million redefined football, a record at the club that stood until Cristiano Ronaldo joined Madrid a decade later.

Since 2011, Zidane has been closely tied to Real Madrid. After retiring as a player in 2006, he only returned to the professional football scene in 2014, taking on the role of head coach for Real Madrid's second team, Castilla. During those interim years, though, Zidane was far from idle: he served as an advisor to the president and later as a sporting director. When Rafael Benitez departed Real Madrid in 2014, Zidane was brought in urgently to manage the main squad.

What followed is well known: Zidane, in less than two seasons, led the club to two Champions League titles, a UEFA Super Cup, a Club World Cup, and a La Liga title. In 2018, he won his third consecutive Champions League with Real Madrid, an unprecedented feat. Shortly after, he announced his departure, only to return to the club in 2019. While his second spell didn’t bring the same Champions League glory, Zidane did secure another La Liga title and a Spanish Super Cup in 2019-2020, solidifying his name in football history as both a player and a coach.

Since May 2021, however, Zidane has remained absent from the coaching scene—a notable 3.5-year break that has many fans eager to see his return. Rumors have circulated about potential roles, such as coaching Brazil's national team or managing a Saudi club, yet Zidane has made his ambitions clear. In a detailed six-hour interview for his 50th birthday, he expressed a strong desire to manage the French national team. However, those doors remain closed for now. That said, with Didier Deschamps’ recent inconsistent results, some think Zidane’s chance could come soon.

The French Football Federation (FFF) has also left its mark on Zidane’s career prospects, notably in 2023 when then-FFF president Noël Le Graët extended Deschamps’ contract without consulting the executive board, despite widespread rumors that Zidane would take over. This decision led to public tension as Le Graët made dismissive remarks about Zidane's career, later apologizing and acknowledging both Zidane and Deschamps as icons of French football. However, the situation revealed underlying tension with the federation, which remains unresolved.

Beyond his coaching ambitions, Zidane has kept busy outside the football field. Zidane and his wife, Véronique Lentisco Fernández, have four sons—Enzo, Luca, Theo, and Elyaz—all of whom followed in their father’s footsteps to pursue football, though none have reached Zidane’s level of success. His eldest son, Enzo, retired at 29 after a modest career in the sport.

Sport remains central in Zidane's life, and he keeps active by running, playing football with friends, and participating in charity matches. He also enjoys tennis and padel and turned this passion into the Z5 sports center, which he and his family opened to promote football and padel.

Zidane’s other ventures include his clothing line, "ZZ," created in collaboration with Adidas. Notably, in November 2022, he presented Karim Benzema with the Ballon d'Or, later publicly supporting him when Benzema was controversially left out of the French World Cup squad.

Zidane has received other offers as well: rumors linked him to the Algerian national team and Manchester United. He reportedly declined the latter, citing his limited English as a factor. Meanwhile, in early 2023, Zidane became an ambassador for the Alpine Formula 1 team and appeared at a London launch event. French F1 driver Pierre Gasly, who idolized Zidane growing up, even chose to wear the number 10 in tribute to Zidane.

Recently, Zidane’s public appearances have been quieter, though he did attend the 2024 Olympics and even had the honor of carrying the Olympic torch. He currently resides in a luxurious Madrid home valued at around €6 million, maintaining an active but relatively low-profile lifestyle as fans await his return to the coaching scene.