Zidane Under Fire for Coaching Without Proper License
Zinedine Zidane finds himself at the center of a growing controversy in Spanish football. The Real Madrid reserve team coach has been working without the official qualifications required to hold such a position, prompting criticism and sparking an investigation.
The issue gained traction after Rayo Vallecano’s coach, Paco Jémez, publicly questioned Zidane’s legitimacy:
“I don’t consider him a colleague because he doesn’t have a degree. When he has it, I’ll consider him a colleague. I don’t know why I bothered to study if, in Spain, you can coach without a degree. It’s a disgrace,” Jémez stated bluntly.
This controversy follows a formal complaint lodged by a network of private coaching academies, which triggered an investigation into Zidane’s role. The situation draws parallels with that of Alejandro Ceballos, who was handed a six-month suspension in 2010 for similar infractions while coaching San Roque de Lepe.
However, according to L’Équipe, Real Madrid may have found a compromise: an agreement to reduce Zidane’s suspension to three months. Zidane is expected to complete the third and final level of his French coaching diploma by late March or early April, which would finally make him fully qualified.
Until then, the legend of French football remains in a precarious position—lauded for his pedigree, but under scrutiny for his paperwork.
