Zinedine Zidane has been appointed as France’s new head coach, replacing Didier Deschamps after more than a decade at the helm of Les Bleus. The French Football Federation confirmed that Zidane has signed a four-year contract, marking his return to football management after leaving Real Madrid in 2021.
One of France’s greatest ever players, Zidane captained the national team to victory at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, before later enjoying a highly successful managerial spell at Real Madrid, where he won three consecutive Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018.
Zidane said taking charge of France was a long-held ambition, describing the opportunity as a “dream” and the only role he truly wanted after turning down several club offers. He takes over a team that reached the World Cup final in 2022 and the semi-finals of the recent tournament, following Deschamps’ successful 14-year tenure, which included France’s 2018 World Cup triumph.
Paying tribute to his predecessor, Zidane praised Deschamps’ achievements and said his goal is to build on that legacy while leading France towards more international success.
via Gazzetta dello Sport
