When Zinédine Zidane considered making Raynald Denoueix his assistant

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·11 March 2026

When Zinédine Zidane considered making Raynald Denoueix his assistant

As reported by L'Équipe, a documentary titled "Raynald Denoueix, le jeu avant le je" reveals that in the early 2010s Zinédine Zidane considered appointing Raynald Denoueix as his assistant.

Denoueix was out of work at the time after successful spells in charge of Nantes and Real Sociedad. He received a call from an unknown number.

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He recalls spotting messages on his phone, then listening and hearing someone introduce himself as Zidane. His first thought was that it was a prank.

Denoueix says Zidane admired his vision of the game and wanted to work with him on a project. The idea did not come off, and Denoueix never became his assistant.

The nature of the project remains undisclosed. It could have been linked to Zidane weighing up the France manager’s job in 2012 after Laurent Blanc’s departure.

Source: L'Équipe

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When Zinédine Zidane considered making Raynald Denoueix his assistant | OneFootball

When Zinédine Zidane considered making Raynald Denoueix his assistant

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