FEATURE | What to expect from Zinédine Zidane’s appointment as France’s national team manager | OneFootball

This Tuesday, the worst-kept secret in French football will finally be no more as Zinédine Zidane will be unveiled as Didier Deschamps’ successor as France’s national team manager. The French FA has called a press conference in their Parisian headquarters to officially kickstart a new era with ‘Zizou’ at the helm.

Zidane has never hidden his desire to come full circle with the French national team, with whom he has won the 1998 World Cup on home soil and the 2000 Euros. But he was made to wait longer than he probably thought with Deschamps extending his tenure to 14 – largely positive – years.

Contrary to his former France and Juventus teammate, Zidane is given the keys to Les Bleus on the back of a brilliant career in club management. The 1998 Ballon d’Or winner is the only manager in history to secure three consecutive Champions League titles (2016, 2017, 2018). Here’s what France can expect from the appointment of Zidane.

Getting the best out of the best

It should be noted now that Zidane has been out of a management for five years – a considerable time in football – since his resignation as Real Madrid head coach after a trophyless 2020-2021 campaign. Still, both his Real Madrid tenures (2016-2018 and 2019-2021) presented identifiable tactical hallmarks.

As a student to both Marcello Lippi – his former Juventus head coach – and Carlo Ancelotti – whom he assisted at Madrid – Zidane emphasizes the importance of a tactical set-up that allows players to express their full potential by fielding them in their most natural positions. In Madrid, Zidane notably got the best out of elite players the likes of Casemiro, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

In France, Zidane will be able to tap into a conveyor belt of similar world-class talents like William Saliba, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé and Kylian Mbappé. “My target is that players have fun on the pitch“, was one of Zidane’s most remarkable remarks in his first press conference as Real Madrid head coach.

Tactical flexibility towards possession-based football

With Real Madrid, Zidane toyed with different formations. He used a 4-3-3 with Carvajal and Marcelo as overlapping full-backs, a 4-4-2 with a double midfield pivot composed of Casemiro and Kroos, a 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield – Zidane’s go-to set-up in the 2017 and 2018 Champions League finals with Isco as a No. 10 – and a 4-2-3-1 when Zidane had wingers Gareth Bale and Vinicius Jr. at his disposal.

L’Equipe reported earlier this month that Zidane was delighted with Deschamps’ switch to a more proactive attack-minded France team since Les Bleus’ dire 2024 Euros. The outlet added that ZZ always envisioned his France team with a ‘classic’ No. 10 – a position that Zidane made his own during his playing days – with Michael Olise’s performances catching his attention. The Bayern Munich attacking midfielder became the first player in history to register seven assists in a single World Cup.

“I want my team to play, spread the ball about whenever they have it, play it forward from the back and make the best possible decision before they even receive it”, was how Zidane views football how it should be played.

Man-management through experience and aura

As a Juventus player in the late 90’s, a Real Madrid player in the early 2000’s and a 108-capped France international between 1994 and 2006, Zidane has spent more than a decade sharing a dressing room with elite football players. A considerable strength, on top of being one of the most celebrated football players ever. 

“I worked with many coaches and some gifted players who had big egos. I know the dressing room and I know very well how players think. That is important to me”, Zidane says regarding his resume. With national team management being notoriously light on training sessions and tactical discourse – compared to club management – success hinges more on player harmony, motivation, and managing egos.

Given his body of work in Real Madrid, and his unmatched aura, Zidane is expected to commend deference from France players who all grew up ideolizing him. Mbappé was only 7 when Zizou made a mockery of Brazil in the 2006 World Cup quarter-finals. As Isco put it, “he is one of the best players in the history of football. So you pay attention to anything he has to say.” 

GFFN | Bastien Cheval