Zidane, gray future – AS.com

The announcement of the French Football Federation, confirming Didier Deschamps as coach until 2026, has been a jug of cold water for Zinedine Zidane. The desire of the Marseillais, since he left Real Madrid in 2021, was to take the reins of the French team after the World Cup in Qatarto the point of rejecting offers from important clubs in Europe, one of which could not be rejected by PSG.

Zidane said no to the Parisian team because his dream, and that of a huge number of French people, was to train the French team. Al Khelaïfi did the impossible to sign him, but the former Real Madrid coach was very clear about directing the finalist of the last World Cup. However, Deschamps had earned the right to unilaterally renew after, at least, reaching the semifinals in Qatar, so the 54-year-old coach decided to extend it until 2026, making his continuity official this Saturday.

In October 2022, a few days before the start of the World Cup, Zidane acknowledged in RMC Sport that “he was very close” to return to training. His sincere words were interpreted as a declaration of intent to succeed Deschamps in the French team. However, something happened during the World Cup. Zizou refused to go to the final after being invited on an official flight by the Federation and the coach did not go to Lusail to watch the Argentina-France game.

On repeated occasions, Noël Le Graet, president of the French Football Federation, had insisted that he did not see a future without Deschamps.. The speech had changed, because in 2020 he stated that, in the event that the recently renewed coach left, the first alternative he had in mind was Zidane’s. In an interview with L’Équipe in the summer, on the occasion of his 50th birthday, he acknowledged that one of his short-term goals was to coach France.

Three and a half years, which is the length of Deschamps’ new contract, is a long time for Zidane. The three-time Champions League winner as a coach will have to go to the market, which is scarce right now, to look for new opportunities. Brazil, after the departure of Tite, and which has expressed interest in signing him, could be his next destination. The canarinha is looking for a foreign coach, who has experience, and his name appears on a long list of candidates. An uncertain future, but that will be, at least in the short term, without being able to train the French team.