Zinedine Zidane Plays Down Juventus, France Rumours; No Real Madrid Guarantees

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has denied speculation he has been approached by Juventus or could link up with the French national team soon, but there are no guarantees he stays with Los Blancos in the long run.

Per Goal's Chris Burton, he was asked whether it was true the Bianconeri had been in touch: "No, no ... No one has contacted me, and I don't know anything. You know what it's like—people say a lot of things."

On his long-term future in the Spanish capital, he said: "It's not like that. Knowing what comes next doesn't exist. I feel supported by the club, yes, that's clear. The people that work here—we're all pulling in the same direction. But after all that, I know how this works. I'm coach of Real Madrid today, but tomorrow that could change."

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Zidane became a world-class midfielder in Turin before moving to Real in 2001, starting his lengthy association with the Spanish giants. He ended his playing career in 2006 and has spent his entire coaching career in the capital, as an adviser, assistant and eventually three-time UEFA Champions League-winning manager.

He was linked with former club Juventus after stepping away from the Real job in 2018, before returning in March 2019.

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Maurizio Sarri took over from Massimiliano Allegri in Turin, but his first season has not been a major success so far, and rumours he could be replaced in the summer have started to crop up.

Barcelona legend Pep Guardiola has also been linked to the team, and Juventus president Andrea Agnelli has admitted the Bianconeri have considered him:

Zidane's appeal comes from his ability to get the most out of Cristiano Ronaldo―the two had a great working relationship in Madrid―and his European pedigree. Juventus are desperate for Champions League glory, last winning Europe's top club competition in 1996.

The 47-year-old seems unlikely to leave Real anytime soon, however. He only returned to the post a year ago and has Los Blancos leading La Liga after their Clasico win over Barcelona. He has won the Spanish top division only once as a coach, in the 2016-17 campaign, and won it just once as a player as well.

Despite his struggles, Sarri still has Juventus in a great position to win Serie A―they trail AS Roma by two points and have a match in hand―and qualified for the Champions League knockout stages. They lost 1-0 to Lyon in the first leg of their tie.