Zinedine Zidane talks Karim Benzema, Kylian Mbappé, his future and more...

On his 51st birthday, France footballing legend Zinedine Zidane spoke in an interview with Téléfoot in France, where, among other things, he discussed Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and his former player Karim Benzema.

The Marseille man began the interview by praising Benzema, who he managed at Real Madrid. “If there’s one player who gets me off my seat, it’s Karim Benzema... maybe Luka Modric too, players who, when they have the ball, you think they’re going to lose it, but no, they always manage to get away with it,” said Zidane.

Bellingham to wear famous 5

On Jude Bellingham, who chose the No.5, Zizou’s shirt number at Real Madrid, he said that “he is an important player” and that “he is ready to play for Real Madrid”.

The former Real Madrid head coach gave clues about his future and also responded to the possibility of returning to coaching in France. “Do I miss the adrenaline of coaching at the highest level? Yes, of course, I do. When you’re away, you see it in a different way. I haven’t had it for two years, but it will come. To go back to live and work in France? You can’t say no to anything. I know what I want and what I don’t want. If I’ve decided to take a break, it’s because I should have... I hope to be able to tell myself that I will soon be able to return to training,” he continued.

Zidane went on to compare modern-day football with that of his time. “In my time, football was a bit less physical than it is now. With just technique, you could go far. Nowadays I think it’s more complicated. Today’s football is different, if I had played in this era maybe my physique would have played a dirty trick on me.”

Mbappé Ballon d’Or

Finally, he spoke about his compatriot Mbappé. “I hope he wins the Ballon d’Or one day and I hope he wins quite a few titles. What he does is fantastic for the France national team and for PSG, his club. I’m a fan of Mbappé.”