Why Zidane fears the Chelsea job — Emmanuel Petit

Former Arsenal midfielder and French international Emmanuel Petit has revealed that former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane is unlikely to accept the Chelsea job due to his lack of proficiency in English.

Petit stated that Zidane places a high value on communication with his players, and that he does not want to rely on a translator for public interactions.

Chelsea recently parted ways with manager Graham Potter and have been linked to a number of high-profile candidates including Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique, as well as Zidane.

However, according to Petit, Zidane’s preference for clear communication with players and staff means that he is unlikely to take the job at Chelsea.

“Zidane, he won’t come, definitely,” Petit said in an interview with Stadium Astro.

“You know why? Because he is not speaking English. I have known Zidane for ages and the way he manages players, he is very close to his players, and he always talks to his players. He wants communication to be a priority for him, it is very important for him. He doesn’t want someone to translate everything he has to say publicly. Simple.”

Zidane, a former French international and one of the greatest players in the history of the game, has won numerous trophies as both a player and a manager.

He won three consecutive Champions League titles with Real Madrid in his most recent managerial stint, which ended in 2021.

While Chelsea will undoubtedly attract a number of top candidates for the vacant managerial position, it appears that Zidane may not be among them due to his reluctance to rely on a translator for public communication.