Often times, managers yearn to return to clubs where they enjoyed fond memories as players to relive the feeling from the dugout, particularly when experiences from those teams helped to forge their tactical identity.
Speaking ahead of leading France against Italy, Les Bleus boss Zinedine Zidane revealed that he hopes to one day be the manager of Serie A outfit Juventus.
The 54-year-old enjoyed a fruitful stint in Italy as a player, winning the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year honours in Turin before he moved to Real Madrid for a world-record fee in 2001.
The San Siro admission: Zidane opens the door to a Turin return
Zidane is back in Italy early in his international managerial career, as his France side will take on the Azzurri at the iconic San Siro in the UEFA Nations League.
The Frenchman appeared before reporters for his press conference ahead of the game, expressing his willingness to manage Juventus in the future.
“Yes, but you never know. Marcello Lippi taught me we must never stop, we’ve always got to keep pushing. At the start I didn’t play well in Turin, the fans and the media didn’t love me.
I suffered a little, but Lippi told me I would play for his Juve. I owe him everything. I’d love one day to be at Juventus, why not, if I continue working as a coach," he said (via Football Italia).
Zidane's France predecessor and former teammate Didier Deschamps also had a spell as Juventus boss, helping the club to win the Serie B title in the 2006-07 season after their relegation due to the Calciopoli scandal.
He has already worked as manager of two of his former teams- Real Madrid and France- and is interested in adding a third one to his CV one day.
Zidane has a long-term contract with France, having only just taken charge this summer, and is expected to remain in charge until at least the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
What a Zidane appointment would mean for Juventus
For Juventus supporters longing for a return to European dominance, the prospect of welcoming back one of the club's greatest-ever midfielders carries immense symbolic and sporting weight.
Zidane represented the Bianconeri at a time when they competed with the best teams in Europe, and he won individual and team honours at the club.
In recent years, Juventus have had a significant fall from grace in Italy, going from a side that won every Serie A title for a decade to a side that struggles to qualify for European competition.
His time as Real Madrid manager, in which he became the first and only manager to win the UEFA Champions League in three successive seasons, serves as proof of his competence and ability to extract the best from his teams.
This proven ability to manage elite dressing rooms, balance attacking flair with Italian-inspired defensive discipline, and deliver silverware on the biggest stages makes him a dream candidate whenever his international chapter concludes.
He learned about the club's culture and expectations during his earlier spell in Turin, and will not stand for a lowering of the standards if he ever takes his place in the dugout at the Allianz Stadium.
First, he will aim to continue with his fine start to life as France boss by engineering a victory over Italy without several key stars, a huge ask against Roberto Mancini's resurgent, youthful side.
