France has officially appointed legendary former captain Zinedine Zidane as the new head coach of the national team, ending years of speculation over his long-anticipated return to Les Bleus.
The 54-year-old succeeds Didier Deschamps, who guided France to the 2018 FIFA World Cup title after captaining the team to its maiden triumph on home soil in 1998.
Speaking after his unveiling in Paris on Tuesday, Zidane admitted that coaching the French national team had always been his ultimate ambition.
"The France job was the only one I wanted. I had offers from clubs over the last four or five years, but I turned them all down because I wanted to coach the French national team," Zidane said.
Born near Marseille in 1972 to Algerian parents, Zidane rose through the ranks at Cannes and Bordeaux before making his international debut in 1994. His career reached iconic status during the 1998 FIFA World Cup, when he scored twice in the final against Brazil to lead France to its first-ever world title.
He added UEFA Euro 2000 glory to his achievements before joining Real Madrid in a then world-record transfer. His stunning left-footed volley in the 2002 UEFA Champions League final remains one of the most memorable goals in football history.
Zidane's playing career ended in dramatic fashion after he was sent off for headbutting Italy's Marco Materazzi in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final. Despite the controversial farewell, he remains one of the greatest footballers of all time.
After retiring, Zidane pursued coaching qualifications before returning to Real Madrid, where he held several roles prior to becoming head coach in 2016.
His managerial career quickly flourished as he led Los Blancos to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018, becoming the first coach to achieve the feat in the modern Champions League era. He later returned for a second spell at the Santiago Bernabéu, winning another La Liga title before leaving the club in 2021.
Since his departure from Real Madrid, Zidane had consistently been linked with the France job, while repeatedly turning down offers from clubs across Europe.
He now takes charge of a talented French squad featuring stars such as Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise, with expectations high that he can lead Les Bleus to further international success.
"I am not the best coach tactically, but I have other qualities," Zidane once said. "I understand the dressing room and I know how a player's mind works. For me, that is very important."
With one of football's greatest icons now at the helm, France begins a new era under a man who has already delivered glory both as a player and as a coach.
