French FA president Philippe Diallo fueled speculation in an interview with “Le Figaro” on Tuesday when he was asked about the successor to successful manager Didier Deschamps.
“Yeah, I know his name,” Diallo said.
In France, it is considered an open secret that it will be the 1998 World Cup winner and former Real Madrid coach Zidane, reports Fena.
Deschamps’ departure has been clear since the start of 2025. The former midfielder took over the job in 2012 and led Les Bleus to the 2018 World Cup title and defeat in the World Cup final four years later.
Deschamps was also runner-up in the European Championship on home soil in 2016 and won the Nations League in 2021.
“The French national team is among the best in the world and not everyone can coach it. We need someone who meets many criteria and can get the support of the French population because this French national football team belongs to the French people,” said Diallo.
Zidane (53) seems to best meet those criteria. As coach of Real Madrid, he won the Champions League three times between 2016 and 2018. After stepping down, he returned to the club in 2019 and again led them to the league title in 2020. Zidane has not taken a coaching job since 2021.
French sports newspaper “L’Equipe” reported that Zidane has been working on assembling his coaching staff for some time.
The three-time world player of the year has repeatedly expressed his interest in the most important coaching job in France.
(Vijesti.ba)
