Zinedine Zidane, the renowned former footballer and coach, is set to take over as the head coach of the French national team. This was reported by RIA Novosti, citing information from journalist Fabrizio Romano.
According to the source, the official appointment will be made after the conclusion of the ongoing World Cup. In that tournament, the French team missed out on a victory in the semifinals. The squad lost to the Spanish with a score of 0-2, and now they will compete for third place, which will take place on July 18th. This match will be the last for Didier Deschamps as the head coach of the national team.
The French specialist announced his departure back in January. At that time, he stated that he would leave his position regardless of the outcome of the 2026 World Cup. It is worth recalling that he had been leading the national team since 2012.
Under his leadership, the players achieved impressive results: they won the World Cup in 2018, earned silver at the 2022 World Cup, and secured silver at the 2016 European Championship held at home. Over the years, Deschamps transformed the national team into one of the strongest in the world and a formidable opponent for any side. However, he has now decided to reboot his career and hand over the national team to another professional.
As for the 54-year-old Zidane, he is returning to coaching after a multi-year hiatus. Previously, the expert led Real Madrid on two separate occasions: from 2016 to 2018 and from 2019 to 2021. During these periods, the team won three Champions League titles, two Spanish league championships, two Spanish Super Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, and two Club World Cups.
As a player for the French national team, Zidane also made his mark: he became a World Cup champion in 1998, a European champion in 2000, a silver medalist at the 2006 World Cup, and a bronze medalist at the 1996 European Championship.
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