Raymond Domenech expects Zinedine Zidane to remain in charge of Real Madrid for a long time, as he believes the club would get rid of the players before deciding to sack the coach.
Legendary former midfielder Zidane has won seven titles since taking over the senior side in January 2016, making them the first team to win back to back Champions League crowns in its current format.
This campaign has not started well for the Spanish champions, though, who drew 0-0 draw with local rivals Atletico Madrid on Saturday to fall 10 points behind Barcelona in La Liga, while they are currently second to Tottenham Hotspur in their European group.
Such form tends to lead to a Real Madrid manager coming under pressure from the club, but Domenech believes it is the players who should fear for their futures instead.
“Look at Sir Alex Ferguson he had problems,” Domenech told Goal at the Wyscout Forum at Stamford Bridge. “He may have been one or two matches from being sacked, he was at the bottom of his time at Manchester United but we saw what he did after.
“Even the biggest coaches have problems, sometimes you have difficulties and then you have to build again. You can’t win in Europe in every season, champions of Spain every season. It is difficult to live with but he has to live with it.
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“I think it will be different for Zidane [than other Real Madrid coaches]. He has been a great player at Madrid, he won twice in the Champions League. He won the league ahead of Barcelona. He has a long time for the fans to forget. The players will be first to be sacked, Zidane only after that.
“Manchester United and Arsenal have shown patience with coaches can mean success. Money makes people think that they can have the best team in Europe overnight, no, they need time. I don’t think mentalities are going to change though.
“Media now, one bad result and they say the coaches are the problem. Two bad results is a problem and after three bad results they want a new one, that’s a big problem.”
Domenech managed Lyon, Paris Saint-Germain and Bordeaux but he most famously led France into two World Cups and a European Championship with mixed results.
France lost the World Cup final with Domenech in charge as Zidane famously headbutted Marco Materazzi to earn a red card. He then suffered disappointment in the next two competitions as France went out of the group stage at Euro 2006 and World Cup 2008.
He now works for the Association of France coaches and he thinks that Bordeaux manager Jocelyn Gourvennec would be a good fit for any Premier League vacancies.
“I don’t know, if I am ready to go back into management but when I am here at Stamford Bridge, I see this stadium. I feel something beautiful,” Domenech added. “It is a good job to be a coach in these conditions but I am the president of the association of French coaches and I love to help these coaches.
“I try to explain to people that French coaches deserve a better reputation. We see all the good young French players are playing in the other countries in Europe at big clubs. We say that they are not just good players, they have had good coaches before.
“I try to explain to European clubs and football agents that you can take French coaches, they are good coaches. We have many great coaches but I think Gourvennec in Bordeaux is one of the best young coaches and I would recommend him to clubs in England.”