World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane named head coach of France men’s national team
By Thomas Schlachter, CNN
(CNN) — Zinedine Zidane has been named as the new head coach of France for the next four years, the French Football Federation (FFF) announced on Tuesday.
The 54-year-old will take over from longtime head coach Didier Deschamps, who stepped down after the 2026 World Cup, which ended in disappointment for Les Bleus.
Zidane will be counted on to lift the organization’s spirits after the national team, which was widely regarded as one of the favorites to win the title in North America, was bounced from the tournament by eventual winner Spain in the semifinals. Les Bleus were then beaten by England in the third-place match.
This move will see the French icon reenter the world of management after leaving his job as Real Madrid head coach in 2021.
“I have often said there is nothing greater than the French national team. It is therefore a joy and obviously a great honor to become the coach of France. It is also a responsibility. I want to thank President Philippe Diallo, the Executive Committee and the French Football Federation for their trust and salute the fourteen years of Didier and his staff,” Zidane said in a press release on the FFF website.
“I also have a special thought today for all my teachers. Needless to say, I have a lot of ambition for the French Team!”
Zidane will now be looking to emulate former teammate Deschamps by joining the exclusive club of people who have won the World Cup as both player and manager.
A hero’s welcome
Zidane’s return to the France setup should be well received by all involved with the national team.
As a player, Zidane won it all – and in some style.
Zizou helped lead his national team to its first-ever World Cup trophy, with the attacking midfielder scoring two goals in the 1998 final. Zidane scored a brace of bullet headers in the 3-0 win against Brazil, earning France its inaugural star above the badge.
Just two years later, Zidane was once again influential as France won its second European Championship.
France became the first World Cup winner to then also win the Euros during this incredible two-year spell.
But while Zidane enjoyed immense success with Les Bleus, he exited in more unsavory circumstances.
Zidane’s last game with the national team was in the 2006 World Cup final loss against Italy. The No. 10 was sent off for headbutting Italian defender Marco Materazzi en route to France’s penalty shootout loss.
France fans will be hoping his return to the ranks will help right the wrongs of that night in Berlin.
Zidane, the manager
This move represents a first foray into international management for Zidane and a job that he has long been after.
Upon leaving his second stint at Real Madrid in 2021, it seemed like Zidane was biding his time, waiting for Deschamps’ exit.
“It’s a continuation for me, a dream come true. Over the last four or five years, I’ve received offers to lead a club and I rejected them all for the France national team,” Zidane said at his presentation.
“It’s the only thing I’ve wanted to do. I knew it since I was a kid. I began in the youth categories, I went through all the stages until reaching the national team. I am going to give everything so that this team keeps winning, which is the only thing that motivates me.”
While he may be inexperienced in coaching at the international level, Zidane brings a wealth of success at the club level to the role.
As Real Madrid head coach, he led his team to an unprecedented three consecutive Champions League titles, two league titles and two Club World Cups.
Zidane has successfully managed big names, talents, and personalities at Madrid on the way to high-profile successes – something he’ll aim to do with France. The expectation will be to win another World Cup as soon as the next edition in 2030.
With attacking talent aplenty – including star man Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Désiré Doué and Bradley Barcola – Zidane will have to figure out a way to find harmony among his forward options.
Finding balance has been something France has struggled with since its success at the 2018 World Cup and Zidane will be tasked with combining France’s offensive arsenal with defensive rigidity behind them.
“Soon, you will see my style. We’ll have a press conference in September. I love football. I played as a number 10 and what motivates me is scoring goals,” he said at his presentation.
“We’ll be doing things differently. Deschamps is Deschamps, [former France head coach Laurent] Blanc is Blanc, Zidane is Zidane. I will do what I know how to do. I guarantee continuity so that the French national team keeps winning.”
While the role will be new for Zidane, he will also be buoyed by his success in knockout club competitions with Los Blancos. His Champions League record speaks for itself, and he will surely be using lessons from those successes in his new role.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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