Zinedine Zidane Among Others Lined Up to Replace Nuno Espírito Santo Al Ittihad Coach After Altercation With Karim Benzema

It’s over between Al Ittihad and Nuno Espirito Santo. The Saudi-based club reportedly made the decision after the head coach’s relationship with Karim Benzema turned sour. Things majorly went downhill after their loss against Al-Quwa in the Asian Champions League. They are now looking for a French soccer coach. From the looks of it, it looks like Zinedine Zidane is on the list with other managers also in the race.

The owners will hope that the new incoming manager can help the team compete for those top spots. They are currently 6th on the table 11 points off the top.

Al Ittihad line up Zinedine Zidane for a potential manager role

The owners of Al Ittihad have started the hunt for a new manager after announcing the sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo. They want to finalize the new appointment in the international break. It is so that the players have the time to adapt to the new tactics. The Saudi side is looking for a new French coach as preferred by Benzema and Kante. It looks like the owners have already started adding the names to their shortlist.

According to Relevo, former Real Madrid man Zinedine Zidane is their dream managerial appointment. Whereas, former PSG manager  Laurent Blanc is also another option on the table for the Saudi giants. Al Ittihad has not yet entered into negotiations with either of them. Karim Benzema will likely also keep a close eye on the new managerial appointment. This is after his on and off-the-field controversies with now-former head coach Nuno Espirito Santo. He would like a manager that gets the best out of the whole team.

Al Ittihad fans will also hope that the owners try to approach Zidane to become their manager. Karim Benzema will also hope that the UEFA Champions League veteran comes on board. They would instantly hit it off because of their good times winning titles at Real Madrid.

Karim Benzema shares a deep bond with Zidane already

Zinedine Zidane has played an important role in helping Karim Benzema become a legend at Real Madrid. The French striker under his management had one brilliant season after another. Benzema played 217 matches under him. He scored 108 goals and provided 49 assists. Karim Benzema also won three Champions League titles and 2 La Liga titles during their time together at Real Madrid. Both of them also share a great respect for each other off the pitch.

READ MORE: Zinedine Zidane Reveals Real Reason Why He Won’t Join Manchester United

Zinedine Zidane was full of praise for his favorite player after he won the 2022 Ballon d’Or. He presented the prestigious trophy to Karim Benzema in the ceremony in Paris. After presenting the trophy, he said, “I’m almost an older brother to Karim, that’s what we both like to call each other: little brother and big brother. We have more or less the same background. He’s from Lyon, I’m from Marseille…We both grew up in a neighborhood where it wasn’t all easy for us at the beginning. We were simple youngsters from the suburbs who had the dream of becoming professional footballers and we achieved it with a lot of hard work”, as compiled by Marca.

The issue for Karim Benzema and Al Ittihad is that Zinedine Zidane aspires to be the manager of France. He has also rejected opportunities from other top European clubs. Therefore, Al Ittihad will have to keep other options ready as a backup. So the big question will Zidane accept the role of manager of Al Ittihad? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Watch this story:- Soccer Stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo Make a Huge Assist for Esports Space