Former France international Emmanuel Petit has previously suggested that certain conditions need to be met before his former teammate Zinedine Zidane will be considered for the managerial role at Manchester United. The Champions League-winning manager has been named as a possible replacement for Ruben Amorim, but his position has come under renewed scrutiny following his comments after the draw against Leeds United.
United move into sixth place in the Premier League and are unbeaten in three games, one of which was a stalemate at home to Wolves, which then ended in a 1-1 draw at Elland Road. Amorim subsequently complained about his lack of ability at Old Trafford and suggested he would leave the club when his contract expires in 18 months if he is not sacked by then.
This means Amorim’s future at United is once again a hot topic, with INEOS considering whether to sack him following his public criticism of the club’s hierarchy. This is sure to spark fresh speculation linking Zidane with the job, but it may prove difficult to lure the former Real Madrid manager back into management.
Zidane has been away from managerial duties since parting ways with Real Madrid for the second time in 2021. However, he remains a very popular manager, given that he won three consecutive Champions League titles and two La Liga titles with Los Blancos.
According to Petit, who played alongside Zidane for France, certain requirements must be met in order to bring him back into the dugout. “To be honest, I know Zizou (Zidane) a little bit, but if you want to sign for Manchester United, you need to get guarantees,” Petit said in 2024.
“At the moment, the environment at Manchester United is not as good as it has been for many years. The stability of the bench, the level of players and the expectations for the club are not the same as before.
“United are still a huge club, but they’re not on the pitch anymore. And Zizou is very conscious and very careful about the quality of his players.”
He added: “Can he turn things around there? I think the answer is only yes. But looking at the team at the moment, I’m not convinced at all about the level of some of the players.”
“So if I were Zizou, I think it’s actually quite easy to answer this question[about joining United]. And if you don’t speak English on top of that, you’ll have more problems communicating in the dressing room.”
“If he gets the job at Manchester United, it means he has a solution. At the moment, many people don’t know if they have a solution to change the situation at Manchester United.
“Does he want to leave the sunny days of Madrid? His life is in Madrid and he is dedicated to Madrid. I don’t know if he can also speak English well. And communication in the dressing room is very important.”
