Zinedine Zidane Sets Out His Blueprint to Take Over as France Manager
- Zinedine Zidane publicly outlined his ambition to become France’s next manager, revealing that leading Les Bleus is his ultimate dream
- Didier Deschamps will leave his role after the 2026 World Cup, creating a vacancy for which Zidane is considered the overwhelming favourite
- Zidane reflected on how retirement changed his life and credited coaches like Marcello Lippi and Carlo Ancelotti for shaping his coaching journey and philosophy
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Zinedine Zidane has laid out his ambition to become the next manager of the French national team, opening up about how his “life changed” after retiring from football.
The former Real Madrid boss, who coached Los Blancos across two separate spells, enjoyed enormous success at the Santiago Bernabéu, winning three Champions League titles and two La Liga crowns.
Source: Getty Images
Didier Deschamps, France’s 1998 World Cup–winning captain, took charge of Les Bleus in 2012, inheriting a side struggling on the international stage.
France had failed to progress beyond the World Cup group phase in both 2002 and 2010, and their recent European Championship campaigns had been similarly underwhelming.
Deschamps rebuilt the squad meticulously, piece by piece, and transformed France into a dominant force for more than a decade. His team reached the final of Euro 2016, where they were stunned by Portugal as Cristiano Ronaldo captured his first international trophy.
France then showcased their full strength by winning the 2018 World Cup, a tournament in which Kylian Mbappé announced himself as a global superstar.
They came agonisingly close to securing back-to-back titles when they reached the final in Qatar in 2022, only to lose on penalties after a dramatic showdown that ended with Lionel Messi lifting the world crown.
After more than ten years at the helm, Deschamps has confirmed that he will step down as head coach following the 2026 World Cup in North America, per GOAL.
The timing appears ideal for Zidane, who has been out of management since leaving Real Madrid at the end of the 2020–21 season.
He was reportedly handed “blank cheques” by Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester United and attracted major interest from the Saudi Pro League, yet the 1998 Ballon d’Or winner remains the overwhelming favourite to succeed Deschamps when the position becomes vacant.
Source: Getty Images
Zidane outlines ambition to coach France team
Speaking at the Trento Sports Festival, Zidane reflected on his post-retirement life and explained how he ultimately moved into coaching, while emphasising that his greatest dream is to lead the French national team.
The Les Bleus legend said via talkSPORT:
“When I stopped, my life changed. After three years, I didn’t know what to do; I tried so many things until I signed up for the coaching course. Of all the coaches I’ve had, the one I learned the most from was Lippi: he was very important, because when I arrived in Italy, it was difficult for me at first, but he always believed in me. I first had Ancelotti as my manager, then I became his assistant: he’s a friend, he was important to my career. He was a good coach because he listened to us players.”
Zidane names player who was robbed of Ballon d'Or
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Zidane once voiced his opinion on a major Ballon d’Or snub, naming a player he felt was unfairly overlooked for football’s most prestigious individual honour.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, who controversially missed out on the 2024 award to Manchester City’s Rodri.
Source: AFP
