Zidane to Man Utd? Ex-Madrid team-mate reveals Ten Hag’s job is safe in ‘three roles’ admission

Zinedine Zidane is not interested in managing Premier League giants Manchester United, a former Real Madrid team-mate has revealed.
The Frenchman has been hotly linked with Erik ten Hag’s job in recent weeks.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos staff are reportedly big fans of the three-time Champions League-winning manager and the Red Devils’ new minority owner sees Zidane as a ‘dream’ appointment.
Zidane added fuel to the fire last week by admitting he is open to returning to management. He has been out of work since leaving Madrid in 2021.
When asked if he would return to coaching, he said: “Why not? Anything can happen. Now I’m doing other things, but we’ll see – I’d certainly like to return to the bench.”
Pressure is mounting on Ten Hag, whose side bounced back from a home defeat to Fulham in the Premier League with an FA Cup win at Nottingham Forest on Wednesday evening.
Winning the FA Cup could save his job but a home tie against Liverpool stands between Manchester United and a semi-final at Wembley, which is not ideal.
With Champions League qualification looking unlikely, talk of Ratcliffe dismissing Ten Hag at the end of the season is heating up.
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Zidane might be top of his wish list but the France and Real Madrid legend is not overly bothered by the prospect of taking over at Old Trafford.
This is according to his former Los Blancos team-mate, Thomas Gravesen, who says Zidane revealed to him in 2022 that there are only “three roles” he is willing to take on.
“I spoke to Zidane in Madrid two years ago and he told me there were only three roles he would like to accept: Marseille, Madrid and the France team,” Gravesen told Discovery Denmark where he is a consultant.
“We were in Madrid two years ago and he told me exactly that. I also asked him if he was ready to coach again. And then he told me that there were only possibilities for those three.”
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A lot can change in two years, so Zidane might have a completely different outlook having been out of management for so long.
Furthermore, the 51-year-old refused to close the door on managing in Italy when asked about it last week.
Zidane is not the only manager being linked with a move to the Premier League giants.
Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi is another boss Ratcliffe reportedly likes, while Thomas Tuchel is one to keep an eye on after he decided to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season.
Inter boss Simeone Inzaghi has emerged as another option this week, with it seemingly a matter of time until Ten Hag is relieved of his duties.