Named France Coach, Zidane Says, ‘This Is What I Wanted’

Sports Desk

A long-awaited chapter in French football has begun. Zinedine Zidane has been appointed as the new coach of the France national team, as expected, following the resignation of Didier Deschamps. The French Football Federation (FFF) officially confirmed the matter on Tuesday.

The 54-year-old Zidane is not new to the national team’s hot seat – he has been mentally waiting for it for a long time. It can be said that football fans have been waiting for him to hold the keys to the France dugout.

The Deschamps era, which began in 2012, came to an end earlier this month, after the team finished fourth in the World Cup. Under Deschamps, the French won the World Cup for the second time in 2018, and played in a thrilling final in 2022.

Zidane was introduced at a grand ceremony at the FFF headquarters in Paris. Expressing his feelings, the French legend said, “It is a great joy for me to be the coach of France. To be honest, I can’t find the words. There is a lot of emotion working inside, but I am trying to control myself. I am fully prepared to take on this challenge and that is what is motivating me right now.”

Deschamps and Zidane were teammates on the team that won the country’s first World Cup in 1998. Zidane, who later took Real Madrid to unprecedented heights, had been preparing himself to take charge of the France team since leaving the club in 2021.

Explaining the reason for not moving to another club, Zidane said, “My heart and soul were only focused on becoming the coach of the France team. I have received many offers from different clubs in the last four or five years, but I turned them all down thinking about the national team.”

As a player, he was the center of attention everywhere, from the double goal in the 1998 World Cup final to the Euro 2000 victory. However, Zidane’s experience as a coach has so far been centered only on Real Madrid. And that’s where he made history. He set an incredible precedent in modern football by winning the UEFA Champions League three times in a row from 2016 to 2018.

Zidane also acknowledges the difference between managing a club and a national team, “It’s definitely going to be a completely different experience. I have experience coaching at a club. It’s a new path for me, but I’m not afraid of new things.”

Zidane’s name has been added to the list of former teammates to manage the national team’s dugout after Laurent Blanc and Didier Deschamps in French football. Zidane’s clear statement, ‘I will give my all to continue this team’s winning streak. I have no other goal than to win for the French team and to serve them.’

The French Football Federation has signed a four-year contract with Zidane, meaning he will be in Mbappe’s dugout until the 2030 World Cup in Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

The first test of the Zidane era will be on September 25, in an away match against Turkey in the UEFA Nations League. And he will make his debut in front of the French fans at the Stade de France on October 2, in a big match against Italy.