Zinedine Zidane will not become the new Tottenham or Chelsea boss due to his lack of English, according to his former international teammate Emmanuel Petit.
Ex-Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Petit said Zidane would not be willing to join an English club over fears the language barrier may impede his ability to coach.
Speaking to Stadium Astro, Petit said: “Zidane, he won’t come. Definitely. Do you know why? Because he doesn’t speak English.
“That’s the truth – because I have known Zidane for ages and the way he manages players, he’s very close, he always talks to his players.
“So he wants the communication to be a priority. Very important for him, he doesn’t want someone to translate everything he has to say publicly.”
Both Chelsea and Spurs are in the hunt for a new head coach after sacking their respective managers in the past few weeks.
Tottenham relieved Antonio Conte of his duties last month following his sharp criticism of both players and owners at the club.
Chelsea joined Spurs in the manager market after sacking Graham Potter on Sunday, The Blues are currently 11th in the table and haven’t won in three games.
Former Real Madrid and Juventus star Zidane left his post as Real Madrid boss in May 2021 and has not returned to management since.
In two spells under the Frenchman, Los Blancos won three Champions League titles and two La Liga championships, making him one of only three managers in history to have claimed three or more European Cups.
Whether Zidane would be willing to join an English club without speaking the language remains to be seen, but Petit strongly indicated this would not be the case.
Zidane himself said last summer he would not be keen on the prospect.
Speaking to French outlet L’Equipe, he said: “I understand English, but I’m not completely fluent in it,
“I know that there are coaches who go to clubs without speaking the language, but I work in a different way. Many elements come into play in order to win, it is a global context. I know what I need to win.”
Some managers have made the transition to English football without a full grasp on the language work.
Former Leeds United coach Marcelo Bielsa used a translator in press conferences and interviews throughout his three year stint in West Yorkshire.
As stated above however, Zidane is unlikely to want to make the switch, and Tottenham and Chelsea will need to turn their attentions elsewhere.
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