• Primera Liga

Zidane 'not qualified' to replace Mourinho at Real

ESPN staff
June 12, 2013
Zinedine Zidane spent the final five years of his illustrious career at Real Madrid © PA Photos
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Zinedine Zidane's lack of the relevant coaching qualification is Florentino Perez's latest setback as the Real Madrid president scrambles to fill the void left by Jose Mourinho's return to Chelsea.

The former France international has begun the process of gaining a full coaching qualification in his home country, however AS claims Zidane has yet to complete the 390-hour course and therefore cannot take charge of a Primera Division side.

Carlo Ancelotti remains Perez's first choice to replace Mourinho as Madrid boss, but Paris Saint-Germain's apparent inability to find a suitable substitute for the Italian - with Andre Villas-Boas the latest name reportedly considered - has led to further options being explored in a process criticised as "desperate" by the Madrid chief's predecessor Ramon Calderon.

Zidane's preferred solution is reportedly to take a hands-on coaching role as Ancelotti's assistant, and Spanish radio show El Larguero claiming the Italian would be happy with such an arrangement.

This would still leave Madrid lacking a heavyweight 'sporting director' figure to look after transfers and contracts within the Bernabeu hierarchy.

While the Madrid camp await news from Paris, Perez and Zidane were due to meet on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the situation and talk transfers, with Gareth Bale, Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani, Robert Lewandowski, Marco Verratti all reported targets, and Gonzalo Higuain still expected to leave for Juventus.

Mooted new contracts for Cristiano Ronaldo, a reported target of an £85 million bid from big-spending Monaco, and Xabi Alonso also need to be progressed.

Madrid have already made two signings this summer - with the club taking up its £5.5m option to re-buy right-back Dani Carvajal from Bayer Leverkusen and also paying a reported £4.5m million to take holding midfielder Casemiro from Sao Paulo.

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