Juventus: What could Zinedine Zidane bring to the Bianconeri?

Future was looking rosy when Andrea Pirlo was hugging and kissing the frame of his maiden Supercoppa Italiana title as a Juventus boss. Then, the long-haired gaffer sold the dreams of making Juventus a European beast again when they thumped Inter and qualified for the final of Coppa Italia. But since then, it has been a completely different story.

Under his guidance, Juventus were crashed out of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. And above all, they are now on the brink of missing out on the next season’s Champions League, having lost silly points several times on the road in Serie A. And it is not as if they have been unlucky with the results. They have got what their performances, not every time but mostly, have deserved.

And consequently, it is assumed that Pirlo’s job has gone beyond his reach. What does that mean? Pirlo is going to get the sack sooner rather than later. And what then? Well, as it always goes, the arrival of a new manager is on the cards. Juventus fans would love to see Massimiliano Allegri returning to his managerial duties at the Allianz Stadium again. At least, success is guaranteed with the man, who has won five Serie A titles with the Bianocenri over the past decade.

Allegri’s possible return is not a fan theory. There have been reports of him considering a reunion with the Turin-based club. And it was all good until a certain moment — a moment when Real Madrid felt the need for a new manager.

What is the story here?

As mentioned previously, Massimiliano Allegri was thought to be the frontrunner in the race to become the Juventus manager — possibly after Pirlo would get the marching orders. But that is unlikely to happen. In what has come as a shock to the Real Madrid fans, Zinedine Zidane is set to leave Los Blancos after the ongoing campaign.

According to a very reliable Italian journalist in Fabrizio Romano, Allegri is bound to Real Madrid. Although it has not been confirmed yet, Real Madrid see him as a “serious option”. On the other hand, Allegri would like to obtain the Real Madrid job and is apparently waiting on a final call from president Florentino Perez.

Now, the question that arises is what happens to Zinedine Zidane after he leaves Real Madrid. In a piece published in the Spanish outlet MARCA, several reports have mentioned Zidane as Andrea Pirlo’s out-and-out replacement at Juventus.

Seeing Zidane at the helm of Juventus is a bit hypothetical. And since the reports claim that he has become weary of his job at Madrid, the Frenchman might eventually be looking forward to staying away from the on-field actions for a while after quitting Madrid for the second time in his managerial career.

But giving the benefit of the doubt to those rumours of Zidane joining Juventus as their next manager this summer, we have prepared what, as a fan, you could expect from his arrival at your believed club.

What could Juventus expect from Zinedine Zidane?

One of the best coaches in the history of Real Madrid football club, Zidane is linked with a summer move to Juventus — a club where he won almost everything during his playing days. Perhaps the time has come for him to return some favour to the Italian club. Two-time Serie A winner with Juventus, Zidane belongs to a unique genre of managers.

While some believe that he is a stone-cold pragmatist, other claims that he is a believer and man-manager. Zidane himself once admitted,

"“Football isn’t that complicated. It’s about passing. The higher up the pitch you play, the more dangerous you become. I’m on the players’ side. I listen to them.”"

Some coaches avoid discussing their tactics with others. But, Zidane, who publicly headbutted Italy’s Marco Materazzi in a FIFA World Cup final, is built of different mettle. He doesn’t need to be afraid of anything. He speaks:

"“I want my team to play, spread the ball about whenever they have it, play it forward from the back and make the best possible decision before they even receive it.“When they don’t have the ball, I want them to track back, keep it tight in defence, pressure the opposition high up the pitch and never let them get in behind.I want them to try and win back the ball as high up the pitch as possible because that will see them avoid having to run an extra 80 metres. All of that gives the team balance. Some people will see things differently, but it’s as simple as that to me”"

These quotes in themselves reveal what a fan could expect to see from a team managed by Zinedine Zidane. Inspired by the philosophy of former Juventus and Italy coach Marcello Lippi, the one-time Ballon D’Or winner has implemented his thoughts into action many times while managing a star-studded Real Madrid team. And he deservedly experienced the jolly outcome, becoming the first manager in the 21st century to lead a team to back-to-back three Champions League titles.

So, what is Zinedine Zidane’s philosophy? Zidane, like  Lippi, believes in a team led by the players deemed to be physically at the top of their games. Under the supervision of Zinedine Zidane, the collective fitness of a team is the priority. And then comes the tactical nuances.

He likes fielding his team in the conventional 4-3-3 way. However, as mentioned earlier, he, being unique, is never shy of taking gambles and trying something new. As shown in the recent Chelsea versus Real Madrid game at Stamford Bridge, he landed a 3-5-2 with Vinícius Júnior playing as a right wing-back. The decision came out of the blue and subsequently backfired. But it was a bring example of Zidane being intrepid.

“Intense” is the word we should use while marking Zidane’s managerial style of play. Should Zidane become the manager of Juventus, there would be wing-based football, more exciting and effective than what Juventus have been playing under Andrea Pirlo.

And finally, should he come to Juventus?

When the Juventus board decide to part ways with Massimiliano Allegri two years back, they confirmed that he wasn’t good enough to do the job at Turin. It was a bold conviction, and a right one, according to many. Fast-forward two years, we are here, discussing the potential arrival of Allegri. Hiring the former man would expose the incompetence of the Juventus management. And there is some tension regarding that.

On the other hand, keeping hold of Pirlo would suggest a further naivety of the hierarchy, who know the stakes are higher than ever. Juventus are on the brink of missing out on the Champions League next season.

Let alone the financial hit that Juve would take without the Champions League football, the reputation of the club would tremble. And if that follows Juventus keeping faith in Pirlo’s process, resentment of the fans would be imminent.

With Allegri seemingly unavailable due to interest from Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane could be Juventus’ only shout for salvation. Zidane is not scarless, but he has proven that he has something that many don’t have. Real Madrid were nowhere near the level of winning those trophies when Zidane took over. The dark days of Rafael Benítez and then Julen Lopetegui are the symbols of what a good manager Zidane is and how he could help Juventus turn their fate.

He is courageous. And bearing in mind that he has led Real Madrid to some fantastic success over the last decade, there may not be a better candidate than Zidane.

And finally, should he come to Juventus? If available and hungry for another grueling job, he should.