Main rival backs Zinédine Zidane to become France manager | OneFootball

Since the announcement of Didier Deschamps’ pending resignation as France manager, one name has been on the minds of many to be his successor.

Zinédine Zidane has publicly said many times it’d be his dream to coach Les Bleus one day, and the former Real Madrid boss has seemingly been the obvious choice for several years.

Another man in the mix, though, might be his former French teammate Thierry Henry, who shared his thoughts on the soon-to-be vacant post with the national team.

A special guest on RMC Sport’s Rothen S’enflamme, the legendary former Arsenal striker, said that if Zizou is the next French coach, it’ll be a great appointment.

“This is what everyone has been thinking and asking for a long time. It would simply be deserved,” said Henry, who is himself in contention for the role.

Henry declined to comment about his interest in the job when Deschamps officially steps down in 2026, saying that he wants to return to the sidelines, but for the moment, no opportunities have come up.

The former coach at AS Monaco guided France to a silver medal at the Paris Olympics this past summer, leaving his post at the conclusion of the games.

Zidane has not been in management since leaving Real Madrid in 2021, winning three UEFA Champions League crowns during his first spell as head coach.

Henry has previous coaching experience on the international stage, serving as an assistant to Roberto Martinez, helping Belgium claim a bronze medal in 2018 – their best-ever finish at that competition.

Together, Zidane and Henry led Les Bleus to the World Cup title in 1998 and followed that up with the Euros two years later.

GFFN | Joel Lefevre