Zidane set for Real coaching job

Former France international Zinedine Zidane is set to take up coaching role at Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid have revealed.

The 40-year-old, who ended up his playing career at Real Madrid, has been working as a sporting director with los Blancos since last year, but he is now set to be given a new position.

The Frenchman has decided to pursue a coaching career and the Spanish giants have announced Zidane will be employed in club’s youth academy while he studies for a diploma in sports management.

“Zinedine Zidane will shortly begin training to be a coach while at the same time coaching Real Madrid’s youth academy,” the statement on club’s official website read.

“That will allow him to formalise his knowledge and training which will enable him to fulfill an aspiration that he made public in the press conference in which he announced his retirement as a player in April 2006: to work with Real Madrid’s youth academy.”

The Frenchman has enjoyed a lot of success during five years at Santiago Bernabeu and scored a total of 37 goals in 155 La Liga games for los Merengues.

Zidane recently expressed his interest in coaching France national team and he was tipped as one of contenders to replace Laurent Blanc at the helm of les Bleus.