Zinédine Zidane has taken charge of the French national football team, securing two victories in the UEFA Nations League as he succeeds long-serving manager Didier Deschamps, while welt.de reported that the appointment realizes public anticipation in France, where the former star was viewed as a natural heir to the post.
Two Opening Nations League Victories Under Zidane
These results kept the squad’s competitive momentum intact following the transition from the previous coaching staff. Both victories were narrow, with the most recent match in Belgium decided only in the 88th minute.
A Long-Awaited Succession After Deschamps
The transition follows the departure of Didier Deschamps, whose 14-year tenure at the helm included winning the 2018 FIFA World Cup and reaching the final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. While Deschamps established a disciplined and strategy-oriented culture, the arrival of Zidane brings an alternative profile rooted in his legendary status as a player who won both the 1998 World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000 alongside Deschamps. He has never hidden that taking over as the national team coach, the sélectionneur, would be the highest honor. Behind the scenes, it was also heard that predecessor Didier Deschamps had always suffered from the fact that Zidane had wanted to succeed him in office for years, silently. Zidane stated later that the French national team is the only thing he wanted to take over after his career.
Roster Depth and Upcoming Fixtures in Paris
Zidane inherits an established player pool featuring high-profile talents such as Kylian Mbappé, 27 years old, Ousmane Dembélé, 29 years old, Dayot Upamecano, 24 and 27 years old, and Michael Olise. Unlike teams undergoing significant generational overhauls, the French setup retains players positioned for multiple major international cycles. Preparatory training sessions in Clairefontaine drew media attention when ESPN and football.fr highlighted Zidane’s continued technical involvement during drills. Football.fr asked after the first training session: Is Zinédine Zidane technically better than his players?
ESPN raved in parallel about Zidane’s passes in training: The magic never fades.
He had supplied his players with crosses during shooting practice as if time had stood still. Bayern Munich French defender Dayot Upamecano said: We were all fans of him when we were children.
The team prepares to face Italy in Paris for Zidane’s home debut as national team coach, an encounter that marks the next formal test in the ongoing international window.
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