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Zinedine Zidane puts himself back in limelight as Erik ten Hag faces Man Utd battle

Zinedine Zidane has been without a managerial position since leaving Real Madrid in 2021, but the French icon emerged at the training session of La Liga outfit Real Betis

Erik ten Hag
Erik ten Hag has lost two of his first three league games of the season

Zinedine Zidane was a surprise visitor at Real Betis' training session as rumours continue to linger about Erik ten Hag's future at Manchester United.

The former Real Madrid boss has only ever managed the Spanish giants. And during the two different stints he was at the helm of the club, the Frenchman won two La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies.

Having left for a second time in 2021 - where he was succeeded by Carlo Ancelotti - the footballing icon has opted to stay out of management despite consistent rumours linking him with the United job, as well as replacing Didier Deschamps with the French national team.

Not one to remain in the limelight, a surprise glimpse of the 52-year-old at a training session of Real Betis was posted across social media. Zidane was an eagle-eyed viewer of the session on Wednesday (September 4) in which was the first time his son, Elyaz, trained with the first team at the Ciudad Deportiva Luis del Sol.

The 18-year-old defender left Real Madrid after 11 years to join Betis - who are managed by former Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini - earlier this year and was under the gaze of his legendary father in sunny Seville.

While there seems to be no sign of Zidane returning to management, some may want to keep an eye on the top job at Old Trafford given Ten Hag's poor start to the season. After just three league games, United have lost twice, suffering defeats to Brighton and Liverpool, with the latter ending in a 3-0 humiliation at home.

The Dutchman's troublesome start to the 2024/25 campaign was compounded by Cristiano Ronaldo's comments ahead of Portugal's start of the Nations League. The United legend seemingly aimed a jab at Ten Hag, with the pair famously falling out in late 2022 which led to Ronaldo's second departure from Old Trafford.

The 39-year-old said: "Until the end of my career, I will always have the mindset that I will be a starter. I will always respect the decisions, not only of the coach, but at the clubs I played for I have always respected them… once or twice, they also behaved badly towards me (laughs).

Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane has long been linked with the Manchester United job

"But seriously, whenever there is professional ethics, I will always respect the coaches’ decisions. When it goes against professional ethics, there can always be controversy, but that’s separate."

United will hope to get back to winning ways following the international break when they travel to Southampton next Saturday (September 14).

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