Overview
- French media on Sunday, citing Spanish daily AS, reported that Real Madrid contacted Zinedine Zidane in December 2025 about replacing coach Xabi Alonso.
- Those reports say Zidane declined because he had already committed to the French Football Federation to succeed Didier Deschamps after the 2026 World Cup.
- Alonso’s stint at Madrid ended in January 2026, and the club named former defender Álvaro Arbeloa to lead the first team.
- Madrid’s approach came during a poor run that included a Champions League quarterfinal exit to Bayern Munich and a large La Liga gap to Barcelona.
- Zidane’s pull for Madrid stems from his 11 trophies as coach from 2016 to 2021, while French outlets widely expect him to take over Les Bleus after 2026 though no appointment is official.