PARIS, July 28 (Reuters) – France great Zinedine Zidane’s long-held ambition to coach the national team became reality on Tuesday when the French Football Federation appointed the former captain and World Cup winner as Didier Deschamps’ successor on a four-year contract.
The appointment of former Real Madrid manager Zidane comes two weeks after Deschamps’ tenure as coach ended following France’s fourth-place finish at the World Cup. His final match in charge was a 6-4 defeat by England.
“The French team was the only thing I wanted to do,” Zidane told reporters.
“I’ve always looked at this team through the eyes of a future manager. I didn’t take a club job for that reason. The only thing I wanted to do after Madrid was manage the French national team.
“I could have taken on a three-year role because Deschamps was there. He made that decision in January 2025, and the very next day I knew I wanted to be the next one. We met with the president and the deal was sealed.”
The 54-year-old Zidane is expected to begin his reign with an away Nations League game against Turkey before France host Italy at the Stade de France on October 2.
Deschamps, who left the role after 14 years at the helm, oversaw 185 matches and 120 victories, guiding France to the 2018 World Cup title, the 2020-21 Nations League trophy, and the Euro 2016 and 2022 World Cup finals.
The two share a long association, having been teammates in France’s 1998 World Cup-winning side on home soil.
Zidane played a pivotal role in that triumph and won the Ballon d’Or that year.
He made 108 appearances for the national side, scoring 31 goals and contributing 29 assists.
“You’ll see my style soon,” Zidane said. “I’m driven by the game. I was a number 10, and what drives me is scoring goals.
“I lived in Spain for 25 years, you know what that means. On the pitch, I was a leader. Now I’m becoming a leader through my experience.
“Winning in ’98 is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, winning with my teammates. I spent those four or five years waiting for that day. I’m emotional; you can’t see it, but I’m so excited. I’m happy.”
PLAYMAKER TO MANAGER
At club level, Zidane made 212 appearances for Italian side Juventus before joining Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2001. He went on to play 227 matches for Real across five seasons, scoring 49 goals and providing 67 assists, while winning the Champions League in his first season with the club.
Following his retirement, Zidane returned to Real Madrid as assistant coach in 2013 before taking over as head coach in 2016.
He enjoyed unprecedented success during his first spell in charge, leading the club to three consecutive Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018, a feat that remains unmatched.
Zidane returned for a second stint as Real Madrid manager in 2019 and added another La Liga title to the club’s trophy cabinet before leaving again in 2021.
He follows Laurent Blanc and Deschamps as the third member of France’s 1998 World Cup-winning squad to become national team coach, with the task of leading Les Bleus into the 2030 World Cup.
“Les Bleus’ campaign was magnificent, the football was magnificent. I had a great time, and so did everyone else,” Zidane added.
“The fans have no cause for complaint. We’re going to do things differently. Deschamps is Deschamps, Blanc was Blanc, Zizou is Zizou. I’m going to do what I know how to do. I’m going to ensure continuity so that the French team keeps winning.”
(Reporting by Inti Landauro, Karan Prashant Saxena and Suramya Kaushik, editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Ed Osmond)
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