‘Don’t go to Paris!’ - Zidane warned off PSG move by passionate Marseille fans

Zinedine Zidane has been warned off a move to Paris Saint-Germain by his fellow Marseille natives, with the 1998 World Cup winner passing through his home town on Friday.

The legendary Frenchman has not worked in his homeland since leaving Bordeaux for Juventus at the peak of his playing career.

He is seeing a return speculated on in the present, with there talk of a job at Ligue 1 heavyweights PSG opening up this summer.

Zidane is considered to be a frontrunner for a high-profile position at Parc des Princes if changes in the dugout are made at the end of the season.

Mauricio Pochettino occupies that post at present, but there has been talk of the Argentine walking away once the 2021-22 campaign is complete.

He is being heavily linked with Manchester United, with the Red Devils preparing to make a permanent coaching appointment of their own this summer.

With Ralf Rangmick preparing to step into a consultancy role after taking the reins on an interim basis, Pochettino is a favoured choice of many at Old Trafford.

If he were to leave, then PSG would be free to explore the option of appointing Zidane.

He has, however, been urged not to tread that path by those in Marseille, with locals shouting out to him during a rare return to his roots: “Thank you Zizou! Don't go to Paris Zidane!”

Zidane was born and raised in Marseille, but came through the academy system at Cannes before bursting onto a world stage.

He enjoyed his greatest successes as a player in Italy and Spain with Juve and Real Madrid, before moving into management with the Blancos.

The 1998 Ballon d’Or winner and three-time World Player of the Year has taken in two spells as head coach at Santiago Bernabeu, leading Real to two La Liga titles and three successive Champions League crowns.

He walked away from the pressures of life in the Spanish capital during the summer of 2021 and has been out of work ever since.

Various clubs are said to have considered him with vacant posts since he became available, but nobody has been able to entice him back to the touchline.

PSG, with the likes of Neymar and Lionel Messi on their books, would expect to hold obvious appeal, especially as they boast the spending power that allows major silverware to be pursued at home and abroad.

Pochettino is yet to step aside, though, and Zidane would need to weigh up whether he wants to work with the arch-rivals of those that he grew up alongside.