Amid Cristiano Ronaldo’s Potential Al Nassr Exit, $161,000,000 Reunion Attempt Hits Dead End as Former Coach Turns Down Record Sum

Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo together have given the soccer world incredible moments to cherish, especially the Real Madrid fans. Who can forget the threepeat Real Madrid achieved in the UEFA Champions League? However, after completing the threepeat, the duo left Los Blancos in 2018. And now, Al Nassr attempted to bring the duo together.

Al Nassr is showing high ambitions. They landed CR7 in a blockbuster deal, making him the highest-paid athlete. But the club is without a permanent manager and is screening the market for one. They made an audacious attempt to bring Zidane, but to no effect.

Zinedine Zidane declines a reunion with Cristiano Ronaldo

Al Nassr recently sacked their first team manager Rudi Garcia after a string of poor results. The B team coach took over the interim role until the end of the season. They last won the Saudi Pro League title in the 2018-19 season and are looking to add another. They came close this year. However, a series of poor results made it difficult for them to win the title. They do have an outside chance in the remaining two games. 

The club is already thinking of the next season and has lined up a few names to take the managerial job. Al Nassr was linked with a move for Jose Mourinho. Meanwhile, recent reports suggest that the Saudi Arabian club made an enormous $161 million offer to Zinedine Zidane over two years. $80 million a year would have made the Frenchman the highest-paid manager by miles. But the former Real Madrid manager rejected the offer.

All the reports come in the middle of Ronaldo’s exit rumors. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is open to moving to Europe, as per reports. He is having a mixed season with Al Nassr, which saw the club getting knocked out of three domestic competitions. Whether Al Nassr wins the Saudi Pro League title remains to be seen. However, the rejection from Zidane comes as a shock, who is waiting to get back to the management.

What’s next for Zinedine Zidane?

Zizou started his coaching journey with the Real Madrid Castilla, B team of Los Blancos, in 2014. After a string of poor results in 2016, Los Blancos sacked first-team manager Rafa Benitez and appointed Zidane as the manager. The rest is history, they say. The Frenchman unlocked the best version of Cristiano Ronaldo and helped the club win several trophies.

READ MORE: ‘Never Madly in Love With Cristiano Ronaldo’, Portuguese Star Snubs CR7 While Picking Lionel Messi’s Childhood Hero as Favorite Player

He left Real Madrid in 2018 and returned to the club in March 2019 on a contract till June 2022. Since then, the former Ballon d’Or winner is out of a job. The last he came closest to management was with the French national team. But France extended the contract of Didier Deschamps. It remains to be seen where Zidane ends up after declining Al Nassr’s job. His preference is to stay in Europe, and we hope to see him in a coaching job next season.

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Let us know your thoughts on Al Nassr sending enormous offers to their targets.