Zizou Makes the Move to Les Bleus

France have appointed Zinedine Zidane as their new national team manager.

The 54-year-old replaces Didier Deschamps, who leaves after a success-laden 14-year spell that saw Les Bleus win the 2018 World Cup and reach the final of the 2022 edition.

His final match in charge was a 6-4 defeat at the hands of England in the third-place play-off of the 2026 finals, on the back of a 1-0 semi-final loss to eventual tournament winners Spain.

Zidane, meanwhile, has been out of work since leaving the Real Madrid job for a second time in 2021, and his two spells at the Bernabeu were packed with trophies.

Los Blancos won the Champions League three times during his tenure, as well as claiming two La Liga titles and two successes at the Club World Cup.

But the French footballing icon has bided his time ahead of his return to management, having been constantly linked with the France role for most of the 2020s, while also being on the radar of both Paris St Germain and Manchester United.

Zidane enjoyed huge success as a player for the national side, winning the 1998 World Cup before success at the European Championships two years later. He turned villain in the showpiece of the 2006 World Cup, receiving a red card for headbutting Italy’s Marco Matterazi on the way to a penalty shootout defeat.

Zizou has signed a contract through until the end of the 2030 World Cup campaign, with his first major task being to guide the side through qualifying for the 2028 Euros.

His first match in charge will be a UEFA Nations League clash away to Turkey in September, in a competition that his predecessor won in 2021.