Zidane says yes to France and turns away his many suitors

Zinedine Zidane has started the countdown to his return to the dugout. The Frenchman has already made up his mind and will become his country’s next head coach, taking over from Didier Deschamps, who announced months ago that he would step down from the national team. AS has been reporting on the steps taken by the former Real Madrid manager and on the fact that his return to coaching – this time in charge of a national side – had already been decided. Now, the agreement is complete, and four years later he is set to return to the game.

A few weeks ago, Zidane received a phone call with an offer to take over immediately at one of Europe’s major clubs, but his answer left no room for doubt and forced that team to look elsewhere for a coach. The man who won three straight Champions Leagues with Real Madrid acknowledged that his future had already been committed, and that talks which had been ongoing for some time had now turned into a full agreement with the French federation to lead a national team heading into the World Cup as one of the favorites.

Zidane has received multiple offers during his time away from the bench, and at various points speculation suggested that his future might involve a return to Real Madrid, the only senior team the Frenchman has managed, aside from the club’s reserve side. His relationship with the club’s hierarchy is now entirely normal, although that came after a period of tension following his departure from Madrid in 2021.

In recent years, the former Ballon d’Or winner has closely followed the careers of his sons – Luca at Granada, Theo at Córdoba and Elyaz in Real Betis’s youth setup – while also making appearances at the Bernabéu, watching first-team games from a private box. Zidane also kept a close eye on Algeria during the Africa Cup of Nations, with Luca starting in goal for the North African side.

In Zidane’s long-standing desire to take charge of France, many offers have fallen by the wayside, but one in particular stood out – from Al Hilal, which was prepared to shower the coach with millions of dollars. PSG also pushed hard, and Chelsea was another club that showed strong interest in hiring the Frenchman, but in Zidane’s mind there have only ever been two possible destinations: the French national team or Real Madrid. There were no other options.

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