French football legend Zinedine Zidane has reportedly agreed to become the next head coach of the national team, taking the reins after this summer’s FIFA World Cup.
According to ESPN, the 53-year-old is understood to have reached a verbal agreement with the Federation Francaise de Football (FFF) to succeed Didier Deschamps, who has held the managerial position since 2012.
Zidane, a revered figure in French football, previously managed La Liga giants Real Madrid across two spells between 2016-18 and 2019-21. His eventual appointment to lead the national side has long been anticipated.
As a player, the iconic midfielder enjoyed a glittering career, winning the Ballon d’Or in 1998 and being named FIFA World Player of the Year three times (1998, 2000, 2003).
He was instrumental in France’s 1998 World Cup triumph and their run to the final in 2006, where he was famously sent off for headbutting Italy’s Marco Materazzi.
That proved to be his final match of his playing career, but he has since gone on to have plenty of success on the touchline.
In his first spell at Real Madrid, Zidane won the Champions League in three consecutive seasons, as he managed to get the best out of a team of superstars that included Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Luka Modric.
After walking away from the club in the summer of 2018, Zidane returned less than a year later to take charge once more.
He guided Real Madrid to the Spanish title in 2019/20, but was unable to win the Champions League again.
Zidane left Madrid again in 2021 and has been out of management for almost five years.
However, he now appears to be edging closer to a return to the dugout, and will be aiming to prove he can flourish in international management following his success in Madrid.
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