ARSENAL legend Emmanuel Petit claims Zinedine Zidane will never manage in the Premier League… because he can’t speak English.
That works as a major blow for Tottenham, who are weighing an ambitious bid to sign Zidane after former manager Antonio Conte’s exit.
Zinedine Zidane won’t move to the Premier League because he can’t speak EnglishAFP
Emmanuel Petit believes Zidane wants to work at a team where he can communicateGetty – Contributor
However, Petit insists Spurs will have to look elsewhere as his former France team-mate will “definitely” not come because he doesn’t know the language.
The 50-year-old tactician considers good communication a “priority”, which is why he avoids working with translators.
Petit told Stadium Astro: “Zidane, he won’t come. Definitely. Do you know why? Because he doesn’t speak English.
“That’s the truth – because I have known Zidane for ages and the way he manages players, he’s very close, he always talks to his players.
“So he wants the communication to be a priority. Very important for him, he doesn’t want someone to translate everything he has to say publicly.”
Conte left Tottenham by mutual consent after a 16-month stint in charge of the club.
The Italian exited under a cloud following a rant about the players and club in the wake of a 3-3 draw with Southampton before the international break.
Spurs, though, have a long list of other potential managers they are keen on.
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A return for Mauricio Pochettino is one of the possible options for the summer.
Former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann and ex-Barcelona boss Luis Enrique have also been mooted.
Zidane has been out of work since leaving Real for the second time at the end of the 2020/2021 season.