French Football Icon Zinedine Zidane Takes National Team Helm
Zinedine Zidane, a famous French football player, is now the new coach of the French national team. The French Football Federation announced his appointment on Tuesday. He has signed a four-year contract. This move makes his long-held dream a reality.
Mr. Zidane takes over from Didier Deschamps. Mr. Deschamps’ time as coach ended after France finished fourth at the World Cup. His final match was a 6-4 loss to England. Zidane said he always wanted to coach the national team. He chose not to take any club jobs for this reason. “The French team was the only thing I wanted to do,” Zidane told reporters.
Mr. Zidane expects his first game to be an away Nations League match against Turkey. After that, France will play Italy at home on October 2. Mr. Deschamps led the team for 14 years. He oversaw 185 matches and won 120 times. He guided France to the 2018 World Cup title. He also won the 2020-21 Nations League trophy.
Zidane and Deschamps were teammates in 1998. They won the World Cup together in France that year. Zidane played a very important part in that victory. He made 108 appearances for the national side. He scored 31 goals and made 29 assists.
His club playing career included Italian side Juventus. He then joined Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2001. He played 227 matches for Real Madrid. During this time, he scored 49 goals and made 67 assists. He won the Champions League in his first season with Real Madrid.
After retiring as a player, Zidane became a coach. He returned to Real Madrid as an assistant coach in 2013. He then became head coach in 2016. He led Real Madrid to win three Champions League titles in a row. This success happened between 2016 and 2018. No other coach has done this.
He later returned to Real Madrid for a second time in 2019. He won another La Liga title with the club. He left Real Madrid again in 2021. Zidane is the third player from France’s 1998 World Cup winning team to coach the national side. Laurent Blanc and Didier Deschamps also held this role.
Zidane said he is driven by the game. He wants to ensure that the French team keeps winning. He expressed his excitement for this new role. His main goal is to lead France into the 2030 World Cup. He aims to build on the team’s recent success and bring his own style.
