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

:Headline: Steve McManaman: 'I did not picture Zinedine Zidane as Real Madrid coach': ID:267612: from db_amp
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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1Barcelona14111242142834
2Real Madrid1393128111730
3Atletico MadridAtletico148512181329
4Villarreal137422521425
5Athletic Bilbao146532013723
6Osasuna146441922-322
7GironaGirona146352018221
8Mallorca146351312121
9Real BetisBetis145541616020
10Real Sociedad145361111018
11Celta Vigo145362224-218
12Sevilla145361318-518
13Rayo Vallecano134451314-116
14Leganes143561319-614
15Getafe142751011-113
16AlavesAlaves144191524-913
17Las PalmasLas Palmas143381825-712
18Valencia122461219-710
19Espanyol133191226-1410
20Real ValladolidValladolid142391027-179
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