Not all great players end up being as good managers, but Zinedine Zidane has been equally as effective in the dugout as he was on the pitch.
During his playing career with Real Madrid, he won the Champions League and La Liga. Across two spells as the manager of Los Blancos, Zidane has won the Champions League three times and La Liga twice.
It has not worked out in management for other former star players, such as Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney. Both are currently out of work after stints managing in England and abroad. It must be said that Zidane has been afforded great opportunities since retiring from playing.
He was Carlo Ancelotti's assistant at Real Madrid before managing their reserve team. Zidane then replaced Rafa BenÃtez as the first-team manager of the Spanish giants. Despite the success he had in charge of his former club, Zidane resigned in 2018 before returning the following year.
In his first season back, Zidane added another league title to Real Madrid's trophy cabinet. However, he then left after not winning a trophy in the following campaign.
Where could Zinedine Zidane return to management?
Such is Zidane's status at Real Madrid that he could choose when he departed the club. They are now managed by another one of their former players, Xabi Alonso. He did a fantastic job with Bayer Leverkusen and has Los Blancos top of La Liga, so there will unlikely be a vacancy there anytime soon.
Zidane will only take the top jobs, which leaves his options limited. He appears reluctant to coach a Premier League side. It is also unlikely that he could coach Paris Saint-Germain as he is a former Marseille player. Another one of his old clubs, Juventus, might be an option in the future. However, the Old Lady is no longer the side it once was.
There will always be speculation about when Zidane will return to management. Fabrizio Romano quoted a response from Zidane when he was asked about returning to the dugout: "It will happen soon, very soon."
There appears to be only one option in the near future for Zidane: the French national team. France is currently managed by Didier Deschamps, but the World Cup next year will be his last tournament with Les Bleus.
Following the tournament in 2026, it could be the perfect time for Zidane to take over the French team. He had success as a player for France, winning the World Cup in 1998. However, his career ended acrimoniously with a red card in the 2006 World Cup final, which France went on to lose on penalties to Italy.
Zidane has little to prove, but he will always be haunted by that head-butt on Marco Materazzi, which saw him being sent off in his final game as a player. If he can win the World Cup as the manager of France, then it could go a long way in redeeming himself.