Zinedine Zidane has confirmed that he would one day like to manage the French national football team, though he stopped short of saying whether he hopes to succeed Didier Deschamps when the current boss steps down.
The former Real Madrid manager, who famously scored twice in France’s 1998 World Cup final victory over Brazil, revealed his ambitions during an event organised by Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport on Sunday.
“I’m sure I’ll get back into coaching,” Zidane said. “I’m not saying it will happen now, but one day, what I really want is to coach the national team.”
The 53-year-old remains the leading contender to take charge of Les Bleus once Deschamps, who guided France to World Cup glory in 2018, vacates his post after next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Zidane, who led Real Madrid to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles, last managed the Spanish club in 2021 during his second spell at the helm.
“The most important thing is to have passion for football and to want to pass on what you have inside you to your players,” he added. “A coach plays a crucial role in his team’s success. In my view, his energy and desire make up 80 per cent of whether things go well.”