Man Utd: Zinedine Zidane tipped to replace Jose Mourinho
Old Trafford chiefs draw up contingency plans after manager Mourinho’s pre-season meltdown

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Goals from Alexis Sanchez and Ander Herrera helped dispel some of the gloom that has hung over Manchester United in recent days as they ended their pre-season tour of the US with a 2-1 win against Real Madrid.
But that hasn’t prevented mounting speculation that Zinedine Zidane is being lined up to replace Jose Mourinho.
Not important
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It was a welcome fillip for the Red Devils at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, albeit against a Real side playing their first game of pre-season. Not that Mourinho appeared that bothered by the result.
“The match doesn’t change anything,” said the perpetually morose Portuguese manager. “The result of the game today is not important. If you play Real Madrid in the Champions League that result is important, not today. I didn’t learn anything. I know what Herrera, Mata and Sanchez are. I know the kids are very young and need time to grow up.”
Herrera backed Mourinho in the post-match conference, saying that the absence of United’s World Cup stars had put the squad at a disadvantage Stateside, particularly as their stand-ins were mostly youngsters who wouldn’t feature again for the first team this season.
“It must be difficult for him to work with a group of players, maybe 50% of whom he’s not going to have in the future,” said Herrera. “You can’t really work tactically, because the guys you’re working with could be leaving, going on loan or going to the second team, so it’s difficult for him.”
Positive influence
Describing his fifth pre-season tour as “the most strange so far”, Herrera dismissed suggestions that Mourinho was a negative influence on his players.
Quoted by Goal.com, the Spaniard said: “I can just say that with us he’s very positive, he wants us to fight for the titles, he wants us to perform to our best, he wants us to work as hard as possible.
“But probably he’s not frustrated about the club or the market, he’s probably frustrated because he’s not able to work with the players that he’s going to have for the season.”
Zidane on the radar?
Will that frustration end with Mourinho and United parting company? The Sun understands from “Old Trafford sources” that Zinedine Zidane is being eyed up to replace Mourinho.
The paper claims that “the Special One’s pre-season meltdown has shocked players and staff” and contingency plans are being drawn up in the event that his frustration finally boils over.
The 46-year-old Frenchman sensationally resigned as Real Madrid manager in May after leading them to a third consecutive Champions League title, and it’s claimed that Zidane would relish the opportunity to relaunch his coaching career in the Premier League.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
Wagging
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Pint pricing, climate wisdom and centrism
Podcast Should pubs charge more at peak times? What can Indigenous cultures teach the West about climate change? And are we disagreeing too agreeably?
By The Week Staff Published
-
Inflammatory statements
By The Week Staff Published
-
Manchester United and Mason Greenwood: duty of care or double standards?
Talking Point The 21-year-old footballer’s possible return has provoked an outpouring of dismay from supporters
By Jamie Timson Published
-
2023-2024 Premier League predictions: champions, relegation and golden boot
feature A look at the top flight talking points and pundit picks for the new season
By Mike Starling Published
-
Man City: can ‘one of the best sides in history’ win the treble?
feature Guardiola’s Premier League champions have two more trophies in their sights
By The Week Staff Published
-
Premier League: Man City vs. Arsenal predictions
feature What the pundits say about tonight’s title race showdown at the Etihad
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
Antonio Conte leaves Tottenham after ‘extraordinary’ rant at players
feature After another year without a trophy, Spurs are now searching for a new manager
By The Week Staff Published
-
Liverpool 7 Man Utd 0: ‘welcome to Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool 2.0’
feature Anfield’s ‘new front three’ were on fire in the humbling of their bitter rivals
By Mike Starling Published
-
Man Utd win the Carabao Cup: how Erik ten Hag has ‘transformed’ the Red Devils
feature United lifted their first silverware since 2017 after beating Newcastle at Wembley
By Mike Starling Published
-
Man City’s financial charges: what next for the Premier League champions?
feature The club is alleged to have breached financial rules around 100 times over a nine-year period
By Mike Starling Published