Zinédine Zidane is set to become the next manager of the French national team, according to reports from L’Équipe. The appointment is expected to be announced as early as Tuesday, July 28th, just ten days after France’s defeat in the third-place match of the recent international tournament.
Didier Deschamps, who has managed Les Bleus for 14 years, reportedly did not request a farewell tribute from the French Football Federation upon his departure. While the exact details of the announcement are still being finalized, the federation is currently deliberating the format of Zidane’s introduction to the role, with a press conference not yet confirmed.
Zidane will sign a four-year contract, taking him through to the 2028 European Championship and the 2030 World Cup. The former Real Madrid manager faces the challenge of maintaining the success achieved by Deschamps, who led France to victory at the 2018 World Cup and the 2022 World Cup final.
Zidane’s managerial career has been largely defined by his success at Real Madrid, where he won three consecutive Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018. He left the Spanish giants in 2018 and again in 2021, and has been widely considered one of the most sought-after managerial talents in world football since then. This appointment fulfills a long-held expectation that Zidane would eventually manage the national team, given his legendary status as a player for France, having captained the side to World Cup and European Championship glory in 1998 and 2000 respectively. The move is anticipated to generate significant excitement among French supporters and raises expectations for future international success.
