Big favorite to succeed Didier Deschamps as future coach of the Blues after the 2026 World Cup, the former Real Madrid player is reportedly considering his potential future staff.
A succession being prepared… behind the scenes? If the president of the French Football Federation (FFF), Philippe Diallo, has repeated several times since the announcement of Didier Deschamps’ departure after the 2026 World Cup (June 11-July 19) that his successor at the head of the Blues would only be appointed after the World Cup, things seem to be moving forward secretly within the Federation.
According to information from l’Teamthe FFF would prepare the arrival of the next coach of the French team, next September. On everyone’s lips for months, one name has kept coming up: that of Zinédine Zidane. And it is of course the former captain of the Blues that the Federation seems to have set its sights on to succeed Didier Deschamps.
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Philippe Diallo has a clear position on this succession: nothing will be announced before the end of the Blues’ journey in North America next summer. “We’ll see at that point”he said in November 2025 for our colleagues at the Team . “A lot of things can happen that are not what people expect. Now, I have said it, I have a lot of admiration and respect for Zinédine Zidane, both for what he brought to French football and for what he also demonstrated as a coach, by winning trophies. But everything in its time. For now, we are going to prepare for the World Cup.”
But the World Cup is coming quickly, and so is the rest. The president of the FFF must think about it, he knows it. If nothing has been confirmed by the body or by Zinédine Zidane himself, it seems that discussions are underway. Particularly on the development of the staff who would work with the 1998 world champion.
Like Guy Stéphan, faithful assistant to Didier Deschamps since the arrival of the Basque at the head of the Blues in 2012, Zinédine Zidane was accompanied by David Bettoni during his two stints at Real Madrid, from 2016 to 2018 and from 2019 to 2021. He should probably resume this role if Zinédine Zidane becomes coach. According to other rumors, the installation of a large staff, including in particular a data cell, but within the budget allocated by the FFF, is within the framework of the discussions. But for the moment, nothing has been signed. The art of negotiation.
