In September, the France national team will have a new face on the touchline for the first time in 14 years.
By the time the appointment was announced on Tuesday morning, it had long been an open secret that Zinedine Zidane would succeed Didier Deschamps this summer.
Talks between the former Real Madrid manager and the French football authorities kicked off as early as February 2025 – after Zidane’s former team-mate Deschamps announced a few weeks earlier he would step down following the 2026 World Cup.
At his unveiling in Paris, Zidane was keen to highlight the time he had spent waiting on the sidelines and preparing for the job.
“I had several offers in the last four or five years, but I turned them all down,” an emotional Zidane said. “The national team is the only thing I wanted.”
While his enthusiasm at taking the job was the overarching theme of Tuesday morning’s news conference in the French capital, the midfield legend offered few clues to France fans as to how he would approach the role.
Even a question on Kylian Mbappe’s captaincy was bypassed: “The most important thing for him now is to rest, we’ll have the chance to speak in September.”
When asked about his preferred style of play, Zidane opted against going into tactical detail.
“I can’t explain to you in just a couple of words how we’re going win. I have to arrive, meet with the players, and explain my plans to them. After that, it’ll be up to me to keep this team winning.”
However, Zidane confirmed his intention “to do things differently”.
He went on to signal that there would be a degree of “continuation” from the work of his predecessor, which he made sure to praise.
“I’m going to try do what I know how to, but it won’t be a complete break either.”
So what will Zidane bring to the French dugout?
