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Steve McManaman: 'I did not picture Zinedine Zidane as Real Madrid coach'

Steve McManaman says that he never pictured Zinedine Zidane becoming Real Madrid manager due to the Frenchman's quiet nature.

Ex-Real Madrid midfielder Steve McManaman has admitted that he was surprised to see his former teammate Zinedine Zidane take the reins at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The legendary Frenchman was promoted to the club's first-team coach in early January following the dismissal of Rafael Benitez, who lasted just six months in charge.

McManaman, who played with Zidane for two years in the Spanish capital, revealed that he felt the 43-year-old did not have a personality suited to management due to his reserved nature.

"I didn't think in the dressing room 'he'd be a manager'," he told The Express. "When he arrived he didn't speak Spanish and he was very quiet. He was an incredible footballer but he normally spoke French and only French.

"You wouldn't think he would be Madrid manager because he wasn't at all vocal in the dressing room. You'd think someone like Fernando Hierro could be a manager because he was a leader and he was Spanish. In some ways Hierro was our manager.

"Vicente del Bosque of course was actually our manager but he was quite quiet. Hierro did the team-talks and f-ed and blinded and shouted 'come on'. Whereas Zizou was quiet, reserved and very professional. He came, trained and went home."

Zidane's side sit third and 12 points behind reigning Liga champions Barcelona, and seven adrift of local rivals Atletico Madrid in second.

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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Barcelona26183571254657
2Real Madrid27176457263157
3Atletico MadridAtletico27168344182656
4Athletic Bilbao271310445242149
5Villarreal26128648361244
6Real BetisBetis2711883533241
7Mallorca27107102633-737
8Rayo Vallecano279992929036
9Celta Vigo27106114041-136
10Sevilla279993236-436
11Real Sociedad27104132328-534
12Getafe2789102322133
13GironaGirona2796123540-533
14Osasuna2671273237-533
15Espanyol2677122537-1228
16Valencia2769123045-1527
17Leganes2769122440-1627
18AlavesAlaves2768133040-1026
19Las PalmasLas Palmas2766153045-1524
20Real ValladolidValladolid2744191862-4416


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