Zidane: “Maybe I was too afraid to coach before”

Carlo Ancelotti’s right-hand man confessed that he was wary of “being betrayed” before embarking on a new career in management.

L’Equipe have published a short extract of an exclusive interview with Zinedine Zidane which will be published in full on Saturday. Zidane spoke about his first experiences in his new career as a football coach and warned, “Having been a good player doesn’t mean you will automatically make a good coach. It might help, but not much more than that”.

Zizou goes on to explain that fear prevented him from going into management earlier: “Maybe unconsciously, I was afraid – I was worried about being betrayed. I was fearful of puting my trust into something then being disappointed. But as time has gone on, I have learned to open up and I feel more confident”.