New France head coach Zinedine Zidane has revealed he turned down a number of job alternatives over the last 5 years – as a result of he solely wished to take cost of Les Bleus.
Zidane was introduced as France’s new head coach in a press convention on Monday morning after Didier Deschamps resigned from his place.
The World Cup-winning midfielder has not been in a job for 5 years since leaving his second stint as Actual Madrid boss – and was linked to quite a lot of prime positions in world soccer, together with Manchester United.
“In the last four or five years, I had offers to join a club and I refused them all for the France national team,” Zidane mentioned in his first press convention as France boss. “This job is the only job I wanted to do after my career with Real Madrid.
“I’ve all the time seen the France nationwide staff within the view of a fan – but in addition as a future supervisor. That is the explanation why I did not tackle a brand new membership staff.
“I advised myself that the one factor I wished to do after Actual Madrid was the French nationwide staff. I saved myself away from these groups. I had nice tasks, and will have achieved them for 2 or three years.
“However since Deschamps’ choice initially of 2025 to step down after the subsequent World Cup, the subsequent day I used to be very animated to say I wished to be his successor.
“So I met the president in February 2025 and it’s led us to here.”
‘I understand how to win’ – however will Zidane observe Deschamps means of enjoying?
Zidane is ready to observe a profitable Deschamps period of the French nationwide staff.
Throughout that 12-year stint, France received the World Cup in 2018 and the 2021 Nations League – whereas they have been European Championships and World Cup runners-up in 2016 and 2022.
Nevertheless, Zidane advised the French Soccer Federation that he additionally is aware of methods to win. Throughout his time as Actual Madrid supervisor, he received two La Liga titles in addition to three consecutive Champions League trophies between 2016 and 2018.
Talking about these discussions, French FA president Phillippe Diallo added: “I told him it’s a huge honour and a big responsibility because the last few years have been stunning.
“We would have liked to seek out the particular person to provide us confidence to drive us down the identical path for what I hope is the years forward.
“When I met with Zinedine in February 2025, after the announcement of Didier, he told me: ‘Mr President, I know how to win’.
“When he mentioned that, I knew he had the will and the arrogance to take cost of the staff.”
Zinedine Zidane received up the 1998 World Cup last for France
Talking about shifting on from Deschamps, Zidane mentioned: “The team’s run and style of play were magnificent. I was there in person and had a great time, just like the other fans. There are no complaints about how things went.
“Actually, we’ll do issues in another way. Didier Deschamps is Didier Deschamps. Laurent Blanc was Laurent Blanc. Zizou is Zizou. I’ll attempt to do what I understand how to do.
“It’s not a clean break, either. I want to maintain continuity so that the French team keeps winning.”
‘I wasn’t twiddling my thumbs for 5 years’
Zidane received numerous trophies with Actual Madrid
Zidane additionally insisted he has no issues about taking cost of a nationwide staff for the primary time, including that the France squad has monumental potential.
“There’s no worry,” Zidane mentioned. “It’s a completely different job from club coaching. It doesn’t scare me.
“I will have a stability between my private life and the French nationwide staff. It fits me completely. It is a totally different sort of job, and I’ve no points with that.
“I didn’t sit around twiddling my thumbs for five years. I watched more matches than when I was coaching Real Madrid. I saw a huge number of them. I watched the French national team a lot, and there is great potential.”
