Zidane maintains his personal goal: one day to become France coach. For now he lives in Madrid, waiting for a suitable offer.
Another year has passed without Zinedine Zidane returning to the dugout. The former coach of Real Madrid (January 2016 – June 2018 and March 2019 – June 2021) remains discreet and avoids media campaigns, but his ambition to lead a team has not diminished.
His name was strongly linked with the Paris Saint-Germain job in June 2022, when the Emir of Qatar – owner of the Parisian club – was determined to bring the Marseille-born coach on board. Despite the enormous pressure, Zidane opted to wait for the outcome of the 2022 World Cup, expecting Didier Deschamps to step down as France head coach afterwards.
However, after leading Les Bleus to the final (a dramatic penalty shootout loss to Argentina), Deschamps decided to extend his contract until 2026. Even the team's disappointing performance at the last European Championship, where they were defeated by Spain in the semi-finals were eliminated, did not. do not lead to change.
At 54, Zidane is still considered young in terms of management and is still keen to lead the French national team, the side with which he won the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championship.
Zidane understands that his future depends on the national team and that patience is essential. Deschamps has been criticized in France for his team's poor performance despite a squad packed with world-class talent. He is also blamed for failing to keep Antoine Griezmann, who abruptly left the national team last September.
Griezmann continues to show his high level of play every week for Atlético Madrid, which makes his departure all the more striking. Meanwhile, Zidane's continued popularity in France makes him the preferred choice for many fans to take charge of Les Bleus. His iconic status was on full display when he took part in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris, where he presented the Olympic flame to Rafael Nadal.
Zidane's desire to manage the French national team was recently reaffirmed by his close friend Christophe Dugarry during an interview on Jérôme Rothen's RMC programme. “Zizou has always been clear: he wants to coach the French national team. He's passionate about it,” Dugarry said.
However, he also acknowledged the possibility that Zidane would never coach again. After achieving the extraordinary feat of winning three consecutive Champions League titles with Real Madrid (2016, 2017 and 2018), Zidane is not interested in just any job; he needs a project that matches his ambition and stature.
Earlier this year, there was speculation about Zidane's possible return to Olympique de Marseille, his boyhood club, following reports from Saudi investors showing interest in purchasing the team. However, the southern French club remains unsold, meaning that avenue will remain closed for the time being.
For the time being, Zidane continues to live in Madrid, where he enjoys a quiet life surrounded by his family. He is a proud grandfather of three granddaughters and seems content, calm and relaxed.
Yet Zidane remains a football man, a coach who still likes to take on new challenges. But not just any challenge, and certainly not for financial reasons. For Zidane it is always about the passion, the project and the game.
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