Zinedine Zidane Appointed New Coach of France

Zinedine Zidane, the celebrated former French international and Real Madrid manager, has officially been appointed as the new head coach of the French national football team. The French Football Federation (FFF) announced the widely anticipated decision on Tuesday, confirming Zidane's succession of Didier Deschamps.

Deschamps' tenure, which began in 2012, concluded earlier this month following France's fourth-place finish at the World Cup. During his decade at the helm, Deschamps guided Les Bleus to their second World Cup title in 2018 and led them to the final in 2022. Zidane, a teammate of Deschamps during France's 1998 World Cup triumph, has been widely expected to take over the national team role.

Zidane, 54, has reportedly been preparing for this opportunity since departing Real Madrid in 2021, having previously rejected multiple offers to manage clubs. "The France job was the only one I wanted," Zidane stated at his unveiling at the FFF headquarters in Paris. "I’ve had offers over these four or five years to take charge of a club and I turned them all down for the French national team."

As a player, Zidane was a pivotal figure in France's 1998 World Cup victory and the 2000 European Championship win. His coaching career has been solely with Real Madrid, where he achieved remarkable success, including three consecutive Champions League titles from 2016 to 2018. He now follows in the footsteps of other former French internationals who have managed the national side, such as Laurent Blanc and Deschamps.

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The France job was the only one I wanted. I’ve had offers over these four or five years to take charge of a club and I turned them all down for the French national team.