Despite being tipped as a potential successor to former Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho at Fenerbahce, Zinedine Zidane is not believed to be taking over the Portuguese head coach’s postion. Mourinho was given his marching orders by the Turkish heavyweights last week following their failure to secure a Champions League spot.
Since then, Fenerbahce have been on a quest to find his replacement, with ex-Real Madrid manager Zidane’s name being thrown into the mix. It was rumoured that Fenerbahce were confident of securing Zidane as their next gaffer.
The 53-year-old has been jobless since 2021 after a triumphant second spell with the Spanish titans. Zidane’s trophy cabinet boasts two La Liga titles, three Champions League trophies and a plethora of other accolades from his time with Los Blancos.
However, according to Turkish reports, Zidane won’t be heading to Istanbul after all. As reported by Ensonhaber, Fenerbahce are now set to announce former Schalke, RB Leipzig and Belgium boss Domenico Tedesco as their new head coach.
Tedesco is expected to take up the role soon, with Gokhan Gonul likely to join him as his right-hand man. Having guided Leipzig to the German Cup in 2022, Tedesco has been given the task of bringing home silverware in his debut season in Turkey, with the league title among his objectives.
Fenerbahce currently occupy fifth place in the Turkish Super Lig after three matches, having claimed victory in two of them. Tedesco’s most recent post was with the Belgian national team, but he was shown the door after just 24 games in January.
Tedesco’s first match in charge of Fenerbahce could be this Sunday when they host Trabzonspor. United’s shot-stopper Andre Onana might be between the sticks for that match, as the Cameroonian is close to sealing a season-long loan deal with Trabzonspor.
This marks the end of a rather disappointing two-year stint at Old Trafford, where Onana’s performances have been marred by mistakes. In place of Onana at United will be Senne Lammens who joined the Reds from Royal Antwerp on deadline day.