Why Zidane rumours are circulating around Juventus despite Mancini and Tudor | OneFootball

Zinedine Zidane is a name that has been mentioned in connection to a possible job at Juventus in recent days, but most reports in Italy suggest that either Roberto Mancini or Igor Tudor will be the go-to options if Thiago Motta is dismissed in the near future. Here is why the former Real Madrid coach has been mentioned as an option for the Bianconeri.

The Thiago Motta background at Juventus

Motta, Juventus’s current head coach, is down to his last life in Turin following an underwhelming start to life in charge of the Old Lady.

epa11889266 Thiago Motta looks on during the UEFA Champions League play-offs first leg soccer match against PSV Eindhoven, in Turin, Italy, 11 February 2025. EPA-EFE/ALESSANDRO DI MARCO

The Bianconeri are out of the Champions League and Coppa Italia, knocked out by underdogs in both competitions. They are also currently at risk of missing out on a top four finish in Serie A, as they currently sit in fifth place with four teams within five points behind them following embarrassing 4-0 and 3-0 defeats against Atalanta and Fiorentina.

Reports from multiple outlets in Italy claim that the Juventus-Genoa match in Serie A will be Motta’s final chance to redeem his Bianconeri career, but if the team falls to another disappointing result, he will be given his marching orders.

Which coaches could take over at Juventus?

A growing list of names have been linked with a possible job at Juventus, from Antonio Conte to Gian Piero Gasperini. Stefano Pioli has been mentioned as well, as have Next Gen and Primavera coaches Max Brambilla and Francesco Magnanelli in the eventuality that Juventus go down the caretaker manager route.

However, the two names at the front of the queue are former Italy CT Roberto Mancini and former Juventus defender Igor Tudor, who previously served as assistant to Andrea Pirlo at the Allianz Stadium.

AL RAYYAN, QATAR – JANUARY 25: Roberto Mancini, Head Coach of Saudi Arabia reacts during the AFC Asian Cup Group F match between Saudi Arabia and Thailand at Education City Stadium on January 25, 2024 in Al Rayyan, Qatar. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Mancini has reportedly been the favourite in recent days, but Tudor would reportedly be willing to take on the job as an interim, while Mancini will only accept the job on a permanent basis.

Why has Zidane been mentioned for the Juventus job?

La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Zidane is Juventus’s ‘dream’ candidate to replace Thiago Motta, but he is also one of the more far-fetched options.

One person who seems to be pushing for Zidane’s appointment is Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, a world-leading cryptocurrency firm which has recently acquired a minority stake in Juventus.

Adroino is a Juve supporter himself, and now an investor too. He has commonly used the term ‘MJGA’ on social media, meaning ‘make Juventus great again’ – a play on President Donald Trump’s 2016 US election slogan.

Adroino has also used the ‘MJGA’ caption in a number of suggestive social media posts with AI images of Alessandro Del Piero in a mock-up board room sat next to Zidane, which is where the links between Zidane and the Juventus job have come from.

Why Zidane is unlikely for Juventus

There are several reasons why Zidane is an unlikely candidate for the Juventus job, though.

According to reports from Calciomercato.com, Zidane has a big ambition to take over from Didier Deschamps as head coach of the France national team, possibly with an eye on another World Cup trophy.

Zidane has not coached at club level since 2021, and has only taken charge of Real Madrid, where he won three Champions League titles, and it is understood that he would only be willing to take on another job at club level if he had a realistic chance of competing for Europe’s most prestigious trophy again.

There are also financial reasons which make Zidane to Juventus unlikely, as the club would reportedly not realistically be able to budget for his salary, particularly if they have to pay to cut ties with Motta as well.