Pending the position of coach of the French team, which Didier Deschamps will abandon at the end of the 2026 World Cup, Zinedine Zidane refused several important proposals coming from England. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the billionaire who controls Manchester United, dreamed of entrusting the reins of Red Devils to “Zizou”. The legendary number 10 of tricolor football has never been worked across the Channel, he who does not master English sufficiently. However, he could have played in the north of the country by signing in Newcastle rather than in Juventus in 1996!
The Girondins de Bordeaux had agreed to sell their 23 -year -old attacking midfielder from the Magpies. Barry Silkman, former Manchester City and Crystal Palace player, who has become a players' agent, tells Talksport:: “I was told about him, I went to see him. He entered half-time, scored twice and gave a goal, but after 15 minutes, I had seen enough, I didn't need to stay longer. His brain was ahead of everyone. I spoke to the president after the match, they wanted 1.2 million pounds and they told me: 'We will give you a commission'. I thought that one club was really going to this guy: Newcastle ”.
The Newcastle Recruiter Zidane Faccouss!
Barry Silkman informed Kevin Keegan, Newcastle coach, who then sent the club recruiter to supervise Zidane. The failure is XXL. NUFC managers sent a lunar response to the intermediary. “The fax said: 'Silky largely exaggerated on this player, I think he couldn't even play for the Wolves'. At the time, the Wolves were last in the second division. I answered Kevin: 'I don't know your recruiter, but see it!' »»says Barry Silkman. The latter then contacted a relative of Juventus but the Bianconeri were already on the track of the Native of Marseille.
And for good reason. Zidane was already the new crack in the hexagonal championship, elected Best Hope of D1 in 1994 and international international a few weeks later. Recruited to AS Cannes, where he was formed, the attacking midfielder shone alongside his friends Bixente Lizarazu and Christophe Dugarry. He notably stacked the free kicks (12 in all with the Bordeaux) and flambé during the FCGB route to the 1996 UEFA Cup final (defeat against Bayern). The feat against AC Milan, in the quarterfinals, had definitively made Zinedine Zidane a new phenomenon of the old continent …
