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Man Utd news: Zinedine Zidane advised Real Madrid to axe Jose Mourinho in three words
MANCHESTER UNITED remain tipped to replace Jose Mourinho with Zinedine Zidane - and reports claim the Frenchman ordered the 55-year-old’s sacking at Real Madrid back in 2012.
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Manchester United’s crisis has seen Jose Mourinho’s position weaken with Zidane now the frontrunner to take over at Old Trafford.
The Frenchman is currently taking a break from football having quit Real Madrid just days after winning the Champions League back in May.
Manchester United are supposedly in no rush to replace Mourinho though Zidane, whose experience of management is limited, is under consideration.
And the Independent have now dug up evidence of how the two men differ.
The newspaper cite passages from Diego Torres’ book, ‘The Special One: the Dark Side of Jose Mourinho’ regarding the times Zidane was used as a peacemaker when Mourinho was Real Madrid boss.
On one occasion, the Portuguese invited the Real Madrid icon to speak to the squad after a defeat to Barcelona.
Mourinho then, however, ostracised Zidane for a whole month, seemingly aggrieved at what he perceived to be an attack on his tactics.
Zidane supposedly said: “You’re very good players and you should try to beat Barcelona.
“We are Real Madrid and Real Madrid always go out to win.”
Zidane was then given a withering look by Mourinho and a lengthy absence from the first-team setup then followed.
And the Independent claim the Frenchman actually advised Mourinho’s sacking in 2012.
It is said he told club president Florentino Perez that persisting with the divisive boss would see the club become ‘a sterile crisis.’
Perez ignored Zidane’s advice - but to his peril.
Mourinho’s final season at Real Madrid was a testing one and, ultimately, saw them fail to win a single piece of silverware.
Man Utd: Zidane talks have 'already happened' says pundit
Barcelona again eased to the La Liga title.
And Atletico Madrid beat Real at the Bernabeu to win the Copa del Rey.
Mourinho will struggle to get United firing while the spectre of Zidane lurks in the background.
But victory over Newcastle tomorrow (5.30pm) will provide some much-welcome respite.